How to Make the Degree Symbol on Any Keyboard
The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that almost everyone needs occasionally — for temperature readings, geographic coordinates, or angle measurements — but almost no keyboard has a dedicated key for it. The good news is that every major operating system has at least one reliable method to type it. The right approach depends on your device, OS, and how often you actually need the symbol.
Why There's No Dedicated Degree Key
Standard keyboard layouts — including QWERTY, AZERTY, and QWERTZ — were designed around the most frequently used characters in written language. Symbols like °, ©, and ™ didn't make the cut for dedicated keys. Instead, they're accessed through keyboard shortcuts, character maps, Alt codes, or mobile input methods, depending on your platform.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows
Windows offers two main approaches:
Using the Alt code (numeric keypad required): Hold down Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the top-row number keys), then release Alt. The ° symbol appears.
This only works if:
- You have a full keyboard with a dedicated numeric keypad
- Num Lock is turned on
Laptop users without a numeric keypad often find this method unreliable or completely non-functional.
Using the Character Map:
- Press Windows key + R, type
charmap, and hit Enter - Search for "degree sign" in the search field
- Select it, click Copy, and paste it where needed
Using the emoji/symbol panel: Press Windows key + . (period) to open the emoji panel, switch to the Symbols tab, and search for "degree." This works on Windows 10 and Windows 11 without needing a numeric keypad.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac 🖥️
macOS makes this straightforward with a universal keyboard shortcut:
Press Shift + Option + 8
That's it. This works in virtually every macOS application — word processors, browsers, spreadsheets, and text editors. No numeric keypad, no copy-paste required.
If the shortcut doesn't register, check whether any third-party keyboard customization software is intercepting it, or whether your input source is set to a non-standard keyboard layout.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and Android
Mobile keyboards don't show the degree symbol by default, but it's accessible on both platforms:
iPhone (iOS):
- Switch to the number/symbol keyboard by tapping 123
- Tap and hold the 0 (zero) key
- The degree symbol ° will appear as a pop-up option — slide your finger to it and release
Android:
- Switch to the symbols keyboard (usually labeled ?123 or sym)
- Look for the degree symbol directly on that layout, or tap =< for a second symbols page where it typically appears
The exact location varies slightly depending on your Android keyboard app. Gboard, SwiftKey, and manufacturer keyboards (Samsung, MIUI, etc.) all organize symbols slightly differently.
How to Type the Degree Symbol in Specific Applications
Some applications offer their own symbol insertion tools that bypass OS-level shortcuts:
Microsoft Word: Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set the font to "normal text," and search for the degree sign. You can also assign a custom keyboard shortcut directly within Word's settings.
Google Docs: Go to Insert → Special Characters, search "degree," and click to insert. Google Docs also respects the standard OS shortcuts on both Mac and Windows.
HTML and web publishing: Use the HTML entity ° or the Unicode code point ° to render ° in any web context regardless of keyboard.
Quick Reference by Platform
| Platform | Method | Shortcut / Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (with numpad) | Alt code | Alt + 0176 (Num Lock on) |
| Windows (no numpad) | Symbol panel | Win + . → Symbols → degree |
| macOS | Keyboard shortcut | Shift + Option + 8 |
| iOS | Long-press key | Hold 0 on number keyboard |
| Android | Symbol keyboard | ?123 → find ° or second page |
| HTML | Character entity | ° |
| Microsoft Word | Insert menu | Insert → Symbol → degree sign |
The Variables That Change Your Approach 🔑
The "best" method isn't universal — it shifts based on a few factors:
Keyboard type matters a lot. A full desktop keyboard with a numeric keypad opens up Alt codes on Windows. A compact laptop keyboard or external tenkeyless keyboard closes that option off.
OS version affects what panels and shortcuts are available. The Windows emoji panel shortcut (Win + .) was introduced in Windows 10; older versions rely more on Character Map or Alt codes.
Input frequency changes the calculus. If you type temperatures or coordinates dozens of times a day, a dedicated Word shortcut or a text expander (software that auto-replaces a typed string like *deg with °) is worth setting up. If you need it once a month, copy-paste from a character map is perfectly reasonable.
Third-party keyboards on mobile introduce their own layouts. If you've replaced your default keyboard app with a custom one, the long-press behavior on the zero key may differ or the symbol may live in a different location entirely.
Application context also matters. A plain-text environment like Notepad or a terminal may not render certain insertion methods the same way a rich-text editor does.
Most users find one method that fits their primary device and workflow — but which one that is depends entirely on the specific combination of hardware, OS, and how often the symbol is actually needed.