How to Make the Degree Sign on Your Keyboard (Every Platform Covered)

The degree symbol — ° — is one of those characters that doesn't live on any standard key, yet you need it constantly: for temperatures, geographic coordinates, angles in math, and technical writing. The good news is every modern operating system has at least one reliable method to type it. The method that works best for you depends on your platform, keyboard layout, and how often you actually need it.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboards follow the QWERTY layout, which was designed to fit the most frequently used letters, numbers, and punctuation into a compact physical space. Symbols like °, ©, ™, and ½ are used just often enough to be necessary but not frequently enough to justify a dedicated key. Instead, they live inside your operating system's Unicode character set and are accessed through shortcuts, input methods, or character maps.

The degree symbol has the Unicode code point U+00B0, which is why it's universally reproducible across operating systems — the route to it just differs by platform.

How to Type the Degree Sign on Windows

Windows offers three practical methods depending on your keyboard and workflow.

Method 1: 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 if your keyboard has a dedicated numeric keypad and Num Lock is on. Laptop users without a numpad can't use this method reliably.

Method 2: Character Map

1. Open Start, search for Character Map
2. Find the degree symbol (°), click it, then Copy
3. Paste it wherever you need it

Slow for regular use, but useful when you need it occasionally.

Method 3: Copy from a Known Source

If you type the degree symbol rarely, simply copying it from a reliable reference and keeping it in a notes file is perfectly practical.

Method 4: Keyboard Shortcut in Specific Apps

In Microsoft Word, you can insert the degree symbol via Insert → Symbol, or use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + @, Space (which triggers the ° in some Word versions). Results vary depending on your Word version and regional settings.

How to Type the Degree Sign on Mac 🍎

Mac makes this straightforward with a consistent system-wide shortcut:

Option + Shift + 8 = °

This works in virtually every native macOS app — Pages, TextEdit, Notes, Mail, and most third-party applications. No special settings required.

If that shortcut ever doesn't register, you can also access it through:

• Edit → Emoji & Symbols (or press Control + Command + Space)
• Search for "degree" and double-click the symbol

How to Type the Degree Sign on iPhone and iPad

On iOS, the degree symbol is tucked inside the standard keyboard — no settings change needed:

1. Tap the 123 key to switch to numbers
2. Long-press the zero (0) key
3. A popup shows ° — slide to it and release

This works on both iPhone and iPad with the default iOS keyboard. Third-party keyboards may have different behavior.

How to Type the Degree Sign on Android

Android keyboards vary by manufacturer and installed keyboard app, but the most common path:

1. Switch to the numbers/symbols keyboard (tap ?123 or similar)
2. Long-press the zero (0) key — on many keyboards, ° appears as an option

If your Android keyboard doesn't show it on long-press, check the symbols or extended symbols panel (sometimes a second symbols page). You can also:

• Use Google Keyboard (Gboard): long-press 0 reliably shows °
• Search for "degree" in the emoji/symbols picker if your keyboard has one

How to Type the Degree Sign on Chromebook

Chromebooks don't support traditional Alt codes. Your options:

• Unicode input: Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00b0, then press Enter or Space. This inputs the degree symbol directly.
• Copy and paste from Google Docs' special characters tool: Insert → Special Characters → Search "degree"

The Unicode input method works system-wide in most text fields on ChromeOS.

How to Type the Degree Sign in Linux

Most Linux distributions support Unicode entry in text fields:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type b0, then press Enter

This works in GTK applications across Ubuntu, Fedora, and similar distros. Some desktop environments also support Compose key sequences — if you've configured a Compose key, Compose + o + o produces ° in many setups.

Quick Reference Table

The Variable That Changes Everything: How Often Do You Need It? 🎯

For someone writing a single email, copying and pasting works fine. For a science teacher, technical writer, or developer who types ° dozens of times a day, the right answer looks very different.

Heavy users often benefit from:

• A text expander tool (like AutoHotkey on Windows or Keyboard Maestro on Mac) that converts a short trigger like /deg into °
• A custom keyboard shortcut set at the OS or app level
• A physical keyboard with programmable keys that can output Unicode characters directly

Occasional users are usually well-served by the native platform shortcuts above — no extra tools needed.

The other variable is your typing environment. Some apps intercept keyboard shortcuts before the OS handles them, meaning a shortcut that works in your browser might not work in a specialized text editor, and vice versa. Your specific combination of operating system version, keyboard layout, and application will determine which method is cleanest for your actual workflow.