How to Type the Degree Symbol on Any Keyboard

The degree symbol (°) shows up constantly — in weather reports, cooking temperatures, scientific notation, and geographic coordinates. Yet most keyboards don't have a dedicated key for it. Knowing where to find it depends heavily on your operating system, device type, and how often you actually need it.

What the Degree Symbol Actually Is

The degree symbol (°) is a typographic character with its own Unicode value: U+00B0. It's distinct from the masculine ordinal indicator (º) and the ring diacritic (˚), which look similar but behave differently in text. Using the correct character matters in technical, scientific, or formal writing.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows

Windows gives you several routes depending on your workflow.

Alt Code Method

If your keyboard has a numeric keypad, hold Alt and type 0176 on the numpad (not the top-row numbers), then release Alt. The ° symbol appears. This is the most reliable method on Windows and works in almost any text field.

Character Map

Open the Character Map app (search for it in the Start menu), find the degree symbol, click Copy, and paste it where needed. Slow, but useful when you can't remember a shortcut.

Copy-Paste from a Symbol Insert

In Microsoft Word, go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set the character code to 00B0, and insert it directly. Word also auto-corrects certain shorthand if you enable that feature.

Windows Emoji Panel

Press Win + . (period) to open the emoji and symbols panel. Switch to the Omega (Ω) symbols tab, search for "degree," and click to insert. This works across most modern Windows 10 and 11 apps.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac

Mac makes this straightforward.

• Keyboard shortcut: Press Option + Shift + 8 — this inserts ° immediately in almost any app.
• Character Viewer: Go to Edit → Emoji & Symbols (or press Control + Command + Space), search "degree," and double-click to insert.

The Option + Shift + 8 shortcut is the fastest method and works system-wide in macOS.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad 📱

No shortcut required — it's built into the keyboard:

1. Open any text input field.
2. Tap and hold the zero (0) key on the number row.
3. A popup appears showing ° — slide to it and release.

This works on the standard iOS/iPadOS 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 method:

1. Switch to the numbers/symbols keyboard (tap ?123 or similar).
2. Long-press the zero (0) key.
3. Select ° from the popup.

On some Android keyboards, the degree symbol appears under a dedicated symbols panel rather than the long-press menu. If you use a third-party keyboard like Gboard or SwiftKey, the behavior may differ slightly.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Chromebook

Chromebooks don't have an Alt code numpad by default, so your options are:

• Unicode input: Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00b0, then press Enter or Space.
• Emoji picker: Press Search + Shift + Space to open the emoji panel, then search "degree."
• Copy-paste: Use Google Docs' Insert → Special Characters, search for "degree," and insert from there.

Comparing Methods at a Glance

Variables That Change Which Method Works Best for You

Not every method works in every context. A few factors affect which approach fits your situation:

Keyboard type: Laptops without a dedicated numeric keypad can't use the Windows Alt code method without enabling Num Lock on a shared key layout — and even then, results vary.

App or platform: Some web-based tools, coding environments, or legacy software handle special character input differently. A method that works in Word may behave unexpectedly in a browser text field or terminal.

Frequency of use: If you type the degree symbol dozens of times a day — in scientific writing, recipe development, or engineering documentation — a text expander or autocorrect shortcut (mapping something like deg → °) may be more practical than memorizing key combinations.

Operating system version: Older versions of Windows and macOS may not support the emoji panel shortcut or have slightly different menu paths for character insertion.

Third-party keyboards on mobile: If you've replaced your default mobile keyboard, long-press behavior on the 0 key isn't guaranteed. Some apps don't support the standard popup at all. 🔍

When Unicode Input Is the Universal Fallback

Across platforms, directly entering the Unicode value U+00B0 is the most universally reliable method — though the input mechanism differs by OS. It bypasses keyboard layout dependencies entirely, which matters if you're working in a multilingual setup or on a non-standard keyboard configuration.

The right method ultimately comes down to a combination of your hardware, how your OS handles special character input, which apps you work in most, and how often the symbol actually comes up in your workflow.