How to Make the Degree Mark on Any Keyboard (°)

The degree symbol — ° — is one of those characters you rarely need until you suddenly need it constantly. Whether you're typing a temperature, describing an angle, or formatting a scientific document, it's not sitting anywhere obvious on a standard keyboard. Here's exactly how to produce it across every major platform and device.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboard layouts are based on legacy designs optimized for everyday writing and numbers. Special characters like °, ©, or ™ were left off physical keys to keep the layout manageable. Instead, operating systems and apps provide multiple methods to access them — keyboard shortcuts, character maps, Unicode input, and mobile workarounds — each suited to different workflows.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows

Windows offers several reliable methods depending on how you work.

Alt Code (Numpad Required)

Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the number row), then release Alt. The ° symbol appears.

• This only works with Num Lock on
• Requires a full-size keyboard with a dedicated numpad
• Won't work on most laptop keyboards without an Fn-activated numpad

Character Map App

Open the Character Map app (search it in the Start menu), find the degree symbol, and copy it to your clipboard. Straightforward, but slower for repeated use.

Copy-Paste from Search

Type "degree symbol" into your browser or Windows search bar. Most search engines surface the symbol directly — click or tap to copy it. Useful as a one-time solution.

Windows Emoji Panel

Press Windows + . (period) to open the emoji and symbol panel. Switch to the Symbols tab, navigate to Punctuation, and locate °. Works without a numpad.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on macOS

Mac users have one of the simpler methods available.

Keyboard Shortcut

Press Option + Shift + 8. The ° symbol inserts immediately. No panels, no numpad needed — this works on any Mac keyboard including laptop keyboards.

Character Viewer

Go to Edit > Emoji & Symbols in most apps, or press Control + Command + Space. Search "degree" and double-click the symbol to insert it.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad 📱

The iOS keyboard keeps the degree symbol tucked behind the numbers keyboard.

1. Tap the 123 key to switch to the numbers layout
2. Hold down (long press) the 0 (zero) key
3. A pop-up appears with the ° symbol — slide your finger to it and release

This method works in any app — Messages, Notes, Mail, Safari — without installing anything.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android

Android's behavior varies slightly depending on your keyboard app (Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, SwiftKey, etc.), but the general approach is consistent.

• Switch to the numbers/symbols layout (tap ?123 or !#1)
• Long-press the 0 key — on most keyboards this reveals °
• On some keyboards, you may need to go one layer deeper via a =< or sym key

If your keyboard doesn't support this, the fastest workaround is a clipboard manager or using a dedicated symbols keyboard option in your keyboard app's settings.

Unicode Input: The Universal Method

Every major OS supports Unicode character input, which is platform-agnostic once you know the code. The Unicode value for the degree symbol is U+00B0.

For developers and people working in code editors or HTML, ° is the cleanest, most portable method.

Degree Symbol vs. Similar-Looking Characters

Not every ° you encounter is the same character. This matters for compatibility, especially in databases, spreadsheets, and code. 🔍

If you're copying a degree symbol from an unknown source and it's behaving oddly in your software, it may be one of the lookalike characters above rather than the true degree sign.

Factors That Affect Which Method Works for You

There's no single best method — the right approach depends on several variables:

• Keyboard type — full-size keyboards with numpads unlock Alt codes on Windows; laptop users need alternatives
• Operating system and version — macOS, Windows 10, Windows 11, iOS, and Android each handle special character access slightly differently
• App or software context — Word processing apps often support Unicode input or have insert-symbol menus; browser fields and chat apps may not
• Frequency of use — for one-off use, copy-paste or search is fastest; for repeated use in documents, a keyboard shortcut or AutoCorrect replacement saves time
• Keyboard app on mobile — third-party keyboards like Gboard or SwiftKey may have different long-press layouts than the system default

Windows users who frequently work with symbols often configure an AutoCorrect rule — setting something like deg to auto-replace with ° — which bypasses the need to remember any shortcut at all. macOS users can set up the same via System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements.

The method that fits seamlessly into your workflow depends entirely on which device you're on, which apps you use most, and how often you need the symbol. Each of those details points toward a different solution.