How to Make the Degree Symbol on Mac: Every Method Explained

Whether you're typing a temperature, writing about geographic coordinates, or formatting an angle in a document, the degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that isn't on any visible key — yet comes up more often than you'd expect. On a Mac, there are several reliable ways to insert it, and which one makes the most sense depends on how you work.

The Fastest Method: Keyboard Shortcut

The quickest way to type the degree symbol on a Mac is with a keyboard shortcut:

Option + Shift + 8

Press and hold Option and Shift simultaneously, then tap 8. The ° symbol appears instantly, wherever your cursor is placed — in a document, email, spreadsheet, or address bar.

This works system-wide across macOS in virtually any app that accepts text input. No configuration required, no extra tools needed.

🔑 This is the shortcut most Mac users settle on once they know it exists. It's fast, consistent, and works offline.

Using the Character Viewer

If you prefer a visual approach — or you need to insert less common symbols alongside the degree sign — macOS includes a built-in Character Viewer:

1. Click into any text field where you want the symbol
2. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer
3. Type "degree" into the search bar
4. Double-click the ° symbol to insert it

The Character Viewer also shows you related symbols like the degree Celsius (℃) and degree Fahrenheit (℉) as standalone Unicode characters — useful if you're working in technical or scientific contexts where those distinctions matter.

Typing via Unicode (for Power Users)

In some applications — particularly professional design or publishing tools — you can enter Unicode values directly. The degree symbol's Unicode code point is U+00B0.

In apps that support Unicode hex input (like some versions of Pages or text editors with developer modes), you may be able to type the hex value and convert it. However, this method is app-dependent and not universally supported across macOS the way the keyboard shortcut is.

Using Text Replacement (Best for Frequent Use)

If you type temperature or angles constantly, macOS's Text Replacement feature can automate this entirely:

1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
2. Go to Keyboard → Text Replacements
3. Click the + button
4. In the Replace field, type a shorthand like deg
5. In the With field, paste the ° symbol

From that point on, typing deg (or whatever trigger you chose) will automatically expand to ° across most native macOS apps and iCloud-synced apps.

Note: Text Replacement syncs across Apple devices via iCloud, so if you also work on an iPhone or iPad, your shortcut follows you there too.

Copy-Paste and Why It's Worth Knowing

It sounds basic, but copy-paste is still a practical fallback. You can:

• Copy the symbol directly from a webpage or document
• Use a clipboard manager app to store it as a permanent snippet
• Keep a simple text file of special characters you use regularly

For users who only occasionally need the degree symbol, copy-paste is perfectly sufficient. For anyone embedding symbols into recurring workflows, a shortcut or text replacement saves meaningful time.

Degree Symbol vs. Related Symbols 🌡️

It's worth knowing the difference between similar-looking characters:

Most everyday writing uses the plain degree sign (°) followed by C or F — for example, 72°F or 22°C. The standalone ℃ and ℉ characters exist in Unicode but are less commonly required outside of specialized technical formatting.

Does macOS Version Affect Any of This?

The Option + Shift + 8 shortcut has been consistent across macOS for many years and remains reliable on current versions including macOS Ventura and Sonoma. The Character Viewer interface has been updated visually over different versions but the core functionality is the same.

Text Replacement behavior can vary slightly depending on the app — some third-party apps don't honor macOS text replacements natively. If a replacement doesn't fire, check whether the app has its own autocorrect or substitution settings that might be overriding it.

The Variable That Changes Everything

All of these methods technically work — but the right one depends on things like how often you need the symbol, which apps you spend most of your time in, whether you're on a managed or locked-down machine, and how much you rely on keyboard shortcuts versus menus in your daily workflow.

A writer producing temperature-heavy content every day has very different needs from a student who types the occasional angle measurement in a homework doc. The method that's genuinely efficient for one person might be overkill — or not enough — for the other. Your own setup and habits are the piece that determines which approach is actually worth building into muscle memory.