How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone (Every Method Explained)

The degree symbol — ° — is one of those characters that doesn't live on the standard iPhone keyboard, yet people need it constantly: weather readings, cooking temperatures, geographic coordinates, school assignments. It's not hidden behind a confusing settings menu. It's actually a single long-press away, once you know where to look.

Here's every method that works, along with the factors that might make one approach more practical than another for your situation.

The Fastest Method: Long-Press the Zero Key

The quickest way to type the degree symbol on an iPhone is built directly into the default keyboard.

Steps:

1. Open any app where you can type (Notes, Messages, Mail, etc.)
2. Tap the 123 key to switch to the number keyboard
3. Press and hold the 0 (zero) key
4. A small popup appears with the degree symbol °
5. Slide your finger onto it and release

That's it. No settings changes, no third-party apps, no copy-paste workarounds. This works on every iPhone running a reasonably modern version of iOS, regardless of your model.

Why the Degree Symbol Lives Behind the Zero Key

Apple groups hidden characters logically. The zero key hosts the degree symbol because both relate to numerical measurement. Similarly, long-pressing other keys reveals accented characters, currency symbols, and punctuation variants. It's a deliberate design choice to keep the keyboard clean while still making extended characters accessible.

This matters because it means the method is universal across iOS — it doesn't depend on your iPhone's screen size, keyboard layout language, or any installed app.

Alternative Method: Text Replacement Shortcut

If you type the degree symbol frequently — say you're a weather blogger, a chef writing recipes, or a science student — tapping through to the number keyboard every time adds up. A text replacement shortcut eliminates the friction.

How to set it up:

1. Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement
2. Tap the + button in the top right
3. In the Phrase field, paste or type °
4. In the Shortcut field, type something memorable — like deg or **
5. Tap Save

Now whenever you type your chosen shortcut, iOS autocorrects it to ° automatically.

A few variables to keep in mind with this method:

• Text replacement syncs across devices logged into the same Apple ID via iCloud, so the shortcut may also appear on your Mac or iPad
• Some third-party keyboards or apps occasionally override or ignore iOS text replacement — behavior can vary
• Shortcut triggers are case-sensitive in some configurations, so consistency matters when you set one up

Using the Emoji & Symbols Keyboard

Another path, particularly useful if you're already hunting for a special character and want to browse options:

1. In any text field, long-press the globe icon or emoji icon on the keyboard
2. Select Keyboard Settings or go to Edit → Emoji & Symbols (this varies slightly by app)
3. Alternatively, on iPad and some iPhone configurations, pressing the globe icon opens a character viewer

This method is slower than the long-press zero shortcut but gives you access to a broader range of symbols, including variations like the masculine ordinal indicator (º) — which looks nearly identical to the degree symbol but is a distinct character used in Spanish and Portuguese ordinal numbers (1º, 2º). If precision matters in your work, this distinction is worth knowing. 🔍

The Degree Symbol vs. Similar-Looking Characters

This is a detail that catches people off guard:

For most everyday purposes — texting a temperature or noting an angle — any of these will be visually understood. But in technical documents, data entry, or publishing, using the correct Unicode character matters. The long-press zero method on iPhone produces the proper degree sign (°), not one of the lookalikes.

Third-Party Keyboards and Their Role

If you use a third-party keyboard like Gboard or SwiftKey, the long-press zero method may or may not carry over — it depends on how that keyboard is built. Some third-party keyboards replicate iOS's long-press character behavior; others don't include the degree symbol in the same location, or at all.

If you're using a non-default keyboard and the long-press zero doesn't work, your options are:

• Switch back to the Apple keyboard temporarily using the globe icon
• Use the text replacement method, which operates at the iOS system level and works regardless of which keyboard is active
• Copy the symbol from a note or web page and paste it

Factors That Affect Which Method Works Best for You 🌡️

The "right" approach varies depending on:

• Frequency of use — occasional typists are fine with the long-press; frequent users benefit from a text replacement shortcut
• Which keyboard you use — default Apple keyboard vs. a third-party option changes what's available natively
• The apps you work in — some apps handle text replacement differently, and a few may not trigger iOS shortcuts at all
• Whether you work across multiple Apple devices — iCloud sync makes the text replacement shortcut more valuable if you write on both iPhone and Mac
• The type of content you produce — casual messages vs. technical or published documents changes whether character precision (° vs. º) matters

The long-press zero method is universally reliable on the default iOS keyboard. Every other method adds convenience for specific situations — but introduces at least one variable that depends on your particular setup.

What works seamlessly for someone on the default Apple keyboard typing recipe temperatures might not suit someone deep in a third-party writing app with custom keyboard configurations. Your own combination of apps, keyboard choice, and typing habits is what determines the most frictionless path. 📱