How to Type the Degree Symbol on Any Device

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that most keyboards don't give you a dedicated key for — yet it shows up constantly in temperature readings, geographic coordinates, math, and science. Whether you're typing 98.6°F in a health document or 45° in a geometry problem, knowing how to insert it quickly makes a real difference.

Here's how it works across every major platform, plus the variables that affect which method actually fits your workflow.

What the Degree Symbol Is (and Why It's Tricky)

The degree symbol is a Unicode character — specifically U+00B0. It's part of the Latin-1 Supplement block, meaning it exists in virtually every modern font and character set. The challenge isn't compatibility; it's access. Standard keyboard layouts don't surface it directly, so you have to go through a shortcut, a special menu, or a character code depending on your device and operating system.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows

Windows gives you several routes, and which one works best depends on whether you're in a text editor, a browser, a spreadsheet, or a design tool.

Method 1: Alt Code (Numeric Keypad 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.

Method 2: Character Map Open the Character Map app (search for it in the Start menu), find the degree symbol, and copy it to your clipboard. Reliable but slow for repeated use.

Method 3: Copy-Paste or AutoCorrect Many users simply copy ° from a reference source and paste it where needed, or set up a custom AutoCorrect rule in Word or Outlook — for example, turning deg into ° automatically.

Method 4: Unicode Entry (Some Apps Only) In certain apps, you can type 00B0 then press Alt+X to convert it to the degree symbol. This works in Microsoft Word and a few other editors but not universally.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac 🌡️

Mac makes this straightforward with a keyboard shortcut that works system-wide across almost every app:

Press Option + Shift + 8

That's it. No numeric keypad needed, no app-specific tricks. The symbol inserts inline wherever your cursor is.

Alternatively, you can open the Character Viewer by pressing Control + Command + Space, searching for "degree," and clicking to insert it. The Character Viewer also lets you add the symbol to your Favorites for faster future access.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad

On iOS, the degree symbol is buried in the keyboard but accessible without any special settings:

1. Tap the 123 key to switch to the numbers keyboard
2. Press and hold the 0 (zero) key
3. A pop-up will appear — slide to the ° symbol and release

This works in any native iOS text field. Third-party keyboard apps may handle this differently, and some rearrange which key triggers the pop-up, so the experience varies if you've swapped your default keyboard.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android

Android's approach is similar but depends more heavily on which keyboard app you're using — Gboard, SwiftKey, Samsung Keyboard, and others each have slightly different layouts.

On Gboard: Switch to the number keyboard (?123), then look for a symbols key (often labeled =<). The degree symbol typically appears in that extended symbols view.

General fallback: Long-press the 0 key on the number row — many Android keyboards surface the ° symbol there, similar to iOS.

If you use a custom keyboard or a regional layout, the location of the degree symbol can shift. It's worth checking your keyboard's symbol pages if the long-press method doesn't work.

Degree Symbol in Specific Apps and Contexts

HTML and web development deserves a special note: if you're writing markup, never rely on pasting the character directly unless your file encoding is set to UTF-8. Using the HTML entity ° is safer across older systems and editors.

The Variables That Change Your Best Method ⌨️

Several factors determine which approach will actually stick for you:

• Keyboard type — Laptops without numeric keypads can't use Alt codes on Windows; desktop users with full keyboards often find them fastest
• How often you need it — Occasional use favors copy-paste or Character Map; frequent use favors shortcuts or AutoCorrect rules
• Which apps you work in — A formula-based solution (like CHAR(176) in Excel) may be more efficient than a keyboard shortcut if you're building data-heavy spreadsheets
• Mobile vs. desktop — Mobile keyboards abstract away the complexity but also hide the symbol deeper in menus
• Custom keyboards on mobile — Third-party keyboard apps reorganize symbol access, which means iOS and Android methods described here may not apply to your setup

Someone typing temperature data into Excel all day will set up AutoCorrect or use the CHAR function. A student writing occasional lab reports might just keep the symbol copied to their clipboard. A web developer will use the HTML entity every time.

The right method is genuinely different based on how often you need the symbol, what device and keyboard you're using, and which applications are part of your daily workflow. 🔍