How to Make the Degree Sign on Any Device or Keyboard

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that almost everyone needs occasionally — whether you're typing a temperature, an angle measurement, or geographic coordinates — but it doesn't appear on most standard keyboards. The good news: every major operating system has at least one reliable method to produce it, and once you know your options, it takes just a second or two.

What Is the Degree Sign, Exactly?

The degree sign (°) is a typographic character with the Unicode value U+00B0. It's distinct from the masculine ordinal indicator (º) and the ring above diacritic (˚), which look similar but are technically different characters. For most everyday purposes — temperatures, angles — the true degree sign is what you want.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows

Windows offers several methods depending on how you work.

Keyboard Shortcut (Numpad Required)

Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the top-row numbers). Release Alt and ° appears. This only works when Num Lock is active and requires a physical numpad — which rules it out on most compact or laptop keyboards.

Windows 10/11 Emoji Panel

Press Win + . (period) or Win + ; to open the emoji and symbol panel. Switch to the Symbols tab, then find the degree sign in the miscellaneous symbols section. This works on any keyboard, no numpad needed.

Character Map App

Search for "Character Map" in the Start menu, locate the degree symbol, and copy it to your clipboard. Slower, but always available.

Word and Outlook AutoCorrect / Insert Symbol

In Microsoft Office apps, go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set the font to "normal text," and search for degree. You can also assign it a custom keyboard shortcut within Word's AutoCorrect settings.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac 🍎

On macOS, the shortcut is consistent across almost all apps:

Option + Shift + 8 = °

This works system-wide — in browsers, documents, text editors, and most other applications. It's one of the more discoverable Mac shortcuts once you know the pattern.

If you forget the shortcut, the Character Viewer is always available. Go to Edit → Emoji & Symbols (or press Control + Command + Space), search "degree," and double-click to insert.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad

Apple's iOS keyboard includes the degree sign but buries it slightly:

1. Open any text field and tap to bring up the keyboard.
2. Tap the "123" key to switch to numbers.
3. Press and hold the "0" key.
4. A pop-up will show the degree symbol (°) — slide your finger to it and release.

This gesture works on the default iOS keyboard without any special settings.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android

Android keyboard behavior varies by manufacturer and keyboard app, but the most common path:

1. Open a text field.
2. Switch to the numbers/symbols keyboard (usually a "?123" or "123" key).
3. Look for a "°" character directly, or long-press the "0" key — many Android keyboards surface it as a hold option.

If your keyboard doesn't show it, try the Google Gboard app, which reliably offers the degree symbol via a long-press on 0. Samsung's default keyboard and SwiftKey handle it similarly.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Chromebook

On ChromeOS, there's no single universal shortcut, but a few approaches work well:

• Use the Unicode input method: Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00b0, then press Enter or Space. The degree symbol will appear.
• Copy it from a web search or character reference page and paste it where needed.
• If you use Google Docs, Insert → Special Characters, then search "degree."

HTML, CSS, and Code Contexts 💻

If you're writing HTML or working in web-related code:

In plain-text or Markdown environments, copying and pasting the actual ° character is often the simplest and most compatible approach.

Copy-Paste Option (Works Everywhere)

If you need the degree sign right now and your method isn't working: °

Copy that character and paste it wherever you need it. For one-off uses, this is often the most practical approach regardless of device.

Variables That Affect Which Method Works for You

Not every method works equally well across every setup. A few factors shape which approach will actually suit your workflow:

• Keyboard type — Full-size keyboards with a numpad open up the Alt+0176 method on Windows; compact keyboards don't.
• Operating system version — Older Windows versions may not have the emoji panel; older macOS versions have slightly different menu paths.
• Keyboard app (mobile) — Third-party keyboards on Android vary significantly in what they surface on long-press or symbol pages.
• Application context — Code editors, web forms, CMS fields, and word processors all handle special character input a little differently. Some apps interpret shortcuts differently than others.
• Frequency of use — Someone typing temperatures all day might benefit from a custom AutoCorrect shortcut in their writing app; someone who needs it once a month might be fine with copy-paste.

The "best" method is less about which shortcut looks most elegant and more about which one fits your actual device, keyboard layout, and how often you reach for this character.