How to Type a Degree Symbol on Any Device

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that doesn't live on any standard keyboard key — yet it shows up constantly in temperature readings, geographic coordinates, math, and science writing. Knowing how to type it quickly depends entirely on what device and operating system you're using, and sometimes even which application you're in.

Here's a full breakdown of every reliable method across major platforms.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard QWERTY keyboards were designed around the most frequently typed characters in everyday English writing. Special symbols like °, ©, or ™ were left off because they didn't make the cut for physical key real estate. Instead, operating systems and apps provide workarounds — keyboard shortcuts, character maps, autocorrect substitutions, and Unicode input methods — each with different levels of convenience depending on your workflow.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows

Windows offers several methods, and the right one depends on whether you have a numeric keypad and how often you need the symbol.

Alt Code (most reliable on desktop): Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. The ° symbol appears. This only works with the dedicated number pad — not the number row at the top of your keyboard — and NumLock must be on.

Unicode Input: Type 00B0, then press Alt + X. This works in Microsoft Word and some other Windows applications, but not universally across all programs.

Character Map: Search for "Character Map" in the Start menu, find the degree symbol, copy it, and paste it wherever you need it. Slower, but works in any application.

Copy and Paste: Honestly, for occasional use, copying ° from a search result or document and pasting it is perfectly practical.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac 🌡️

Mac makes this straightforward with a universal keyboard shortcut:

Press Option + Shift + 8 simultaneously. The ° symbol inserts at your cursor position. This works system-wide — in browsers, word processors, notes apps, and most other text fields.

Alternatively, you can open the Character Viewer by pressing Control + Command + Space, search for "degree," and double-click the symbol to insert it.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad

On iOS, the degree symbol is hidden within the keyboard but easy to access once you know where to look:

1. Open any text field and bring up the keyboard
2. Tap and hold the zero (0) key
3. A pop-up appears with the ° symbol
4. Slide your finger to it and release

This works in Safari, Messages, Notes, and most other apps. No settings change required.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android

Android keyboard behavior varies depending on which keyboard app you're using — Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, SwiftKey, and others each have slightly different layouts.

On Gboard (common default): Tap ?123 to switch to the numbers/symbols view, then tap =< to access the second symbols page. The ° symbol appears there.

On Samsung Keyboard: Tap !#1 to open symbols, then look for ° directly or tap the arrow to cycle through symbol pages.

General fallback: Long-press the zero key — on many Android keyboards this surfaces the degree symbol, similar to iOS.

If your keyboard doesn't expose it easily, the copy-paste method works reliably across all Android apps.

How to Type the Degree Symbol in Google Docs and Microsoft Word

Both major word processors offer built-in insertion tools that don't require memorizing shortcuts.

Google Docs: Go to Insert → Special Characters, type "degree" in the search box, and click the symbol to insert it.

Microsoft Word: Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, find ° in the Latin-1 Supplement section, and click Insert. Word also supports the Alt+0176 shortcut and the 00B0 + Alt+X method mentioned above.

Both applications also support autocorrect customization — you can set a text shortcut like deg to automatically expand to ° if you type the symbol frequently.

Degree Symbol vs. Ordinal Indicator — A Common Mix-Up

These three look nearly identical in most fonts but are distinct characters. For temperatures and angles, always use U+00B0 (the true degree symbol). Using the wrong character can cause issues in data entry, coding environments, and accessibility tools.

When Copy-Paste Is Actually the Right Answer

For most casual users who need the degree symbol occasionally, copying ° directly from a reference source and pasting it is completely legitimate. There's no technical penalty for doing this, and it's faster than navigating menus if you only need the symbol once in a while.

The case for learning a shortcut builds when you're regularly writing about temperatures, geographic data, scientific content, or angles — typing Option + Shift + 8 on Mac or Alt + 0176 on Windows eventually becomes muscle memory and saves meaningful time over the course of a workday.

What Shapes Your Best Method

Which approach actually works best for you comes down to a few variables: whether you're on desktop or mobile, which operating system you're running, which keyboard app handles your input on Android, how often you need the symbol, and whether you're writing in a plain text field or a rich text editor with its own insertion tools.

A developer writing documentation in a code editor has different constraints than someone composing an email on an iPhone — and the same shortcut that works perfectly in Microsoft Word may do nothing in a browser text field. Your own combination of device, app, and typing habits is what ultimately determines which method clicks into place.