How to Put a Degree Symbol on Any Device or Keyboard

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that doesn't have its own dedicated key — yet it shows up constantly in temperature readings, geographic coordinates, math, and science writing. Getting it onto your screen depends on which device you're using, what operating system is running, and what application you're typing in. There's no single universal shortcut, but once you know the right method for your setup, it takes only seconds.

Why the Degree Symbol Doesn't Have a Dedicated Key

Standard keyboard layouts — whether physical or on-screen — are based on character sets designed decades ago. The degree symbol is part of the extended ASCII and Unicode character sets (Unicode: U+00B0), which means it exists in every modern system but isn't mapped to a primary key. Instead, it lives in keyboard shortcuts, character maps, or special input menus depending on your platform.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows

Windows offers several methods, and the right one depends on your keyboard and workflow.

Using a keyboard shortcut (Numpad required):

• Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad
• Release Alt — the ° symbol appears
• This only works with the dedicated number pad, not the top-row number keys

Using the Character Map:

• Open the Start menu and search for Character Map
• Find the degree symbol, click Select, then Copy
• Paste it where needed

Using Windows emoji and symbol panel:

• Press Windows key + . (period) or Windows key + ;
• Click the Omega (Ω) or symbols tab
• Search for "degree" — the symbol appears in results

Typing directly in some apps: In Microsoft Word and similar Office applications, you can go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, filter by Latin-1 Supplement, and find the degree symbol there. Word also recognizes it if you type ^o in some autocorrect configurations, though this varies by version.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac

macOS makes this relatively straightforward:

• Press Option + Shift + 8 — this inserts ° directly in almost any text field
• Alternatively, go to Edit → Emoji & Symbols (or press Control + Command + Space), then search "degree"

The Option + Shift + 8 shortcut works system-wide in most native macOS apps and many third-party applications. It's one of the more reliable shortcuts across Mac versions.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad 📱

The iOS on-screen keyboard doesn't show the degree symbol by default, but it's there:

• Tap the 0 (zero) key and hold it down
• A pop-up will appear with the ° symbol as an option
• Slide your finger to it and release

This works in the standard numeric keyboard layout (the one you reach by tapping 123 first). It's the same mechanism used for accented characters on letter keys.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android

Android keyboard behavior varies by manufacturer and keyboard app (Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, SwiftKey, etc.), but the most common method:

• Gboard: Switch to the numeric keyboard (?123), then tap the =< or symbols key to find the degree symbol. Some layouts show it directly in the numeric panel.
• Samsung Keyboard: Long-press the 0 key in numeric mode — similar to iOS behavior
• SwiftKey and others: Check the symbols panel under !#1 or long-press number keys

If your keyboard doesn't surface it easily, copy-pasting from a search result or notes app is a reliable fallback.

How to Insert a Degree Symbol in Web Browsers and HTML

When writing web content or working with HTML directly:

For most content management systems (WordPress, Webflow, etc.), simply pasting the ° character directly works fine since these platforms handle UTF-8 encoding by default.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing the degree symbol with similar-looking characters:

• ° (degree, U+00B0) — the correct symbol
• º (masculine ordinal indicator, U+00BA) — looks similar but is a different character
• ˚ (ring above, U+02DA) — used in phonetics, not temperature

Using the wrong one can cause display issues or break formatting in technical documents and databases where character encoding is parsed precisely.

Copy-pasting from unreliable sources: Some fonts or PDFs encode the symbol inconsistently. If you're pasting into a development environment or a structured data field, verifying the Unicode code point (U+00B0) is worth doing. 🔍

The Variable That Changes Everything

The methods above cover the most common scenarios, but what works cleanly for one person may not apply to another. The keyboard app installed on your phone, the OS version on your computer, the application you're typing in (a browser form, a code editor, a word processor, a spreadsheet), and even regional keyboard layouts (UK, US, German, French, etc.) all affect which shortcut or method is available to you.

Some apps intercept keyboard shortcuts before they reach the OS. Some web forms strip non-standard characters. Some code editors treat Unicode input differently depending on encoding settings. The underlying character is universal — how you get it there is shaped entirely by the specific stack you're working within.