How to Type the Degree Symbol on a Keyboard (°) — Every Method Explained

The degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that doesn't live on any standard key — yet it shows up constantly in weather reports, scientific notation, cooking instructions, and angle measurements. Knowing how to type it quickly depends heavily on your operating system, keyboard layout, and how often you need it.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboard layouts follow the ASCII character set for their printed keys, which covers letters, numbers, and common punctuation. The degree symbol is part of the broader Unicode and Latin-1 Supplement character sets — useful enough to be widely supported, but not common enough to earn its own dedicated key on most keyboards.

That said, every major operating system has at least one reliable method to type it.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows

Windows offers several approaches depending on your workflow.

Method 1: Alt Code (Numpad Required)

Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the top-row number keys), then release Alt.

This only works if Num Lock is on and your keyboard has a dedicated numeric keypad. Laptop keyboards without a numpad cannot use this method directly.

Method 2: Character Map

Open the Character Map app (search for it in the Start menu), find the degree symbol, and copy-paste it. Straightforward but slow for regular use.

Method 3: Copy-Paste From a Search

Typing "degree symbol" into any browser search bar will surface the character immediately for copying. Quick, but not a sustainable workflow if you need it repeatedly.

Method 4: Windows Emoji & Symbol Panel

Press Win + . (Windows key + period) to open the emoji and symbols panel. Navigate to the Symbols section and find the degree symbol there.

Method 5: Word Processors With AutoCorrect

Microsoft Word and similar apps can be configured to autocorrect a custom text shortcut (like deg) into °. This works only within that application.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac 🍎

On macOS, the shortcut is straightforward and doesn't require a numpad:

Option + Shift + 8 = °

This works system-wide — in browsers, documents, text fields, and terminals. It's generally considered the most convenient native method across all platforms.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad

On iOS and iPadOS, the degree symbol is tucked inside the numbers and symbols keyboard.

1. Tap the 123 key to switch to the numbers keyboard
2. Tap and hold the zero (0) key
3. The degree symbol (°) will appear as a pop-up option — slide to select it

This works in any app using the standard iOS keyboard.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android

Android behavior varies slightly by keyboard app and manufacturer skin, but the general approach is:

1. Switch to the numbers/symbols keyboard (tap ?123 or similar)
2. Look for ° directly on that panel, or tap =< for additional symbols
3. Some keyboards require a long press on the 0 key, similar to iOS

Gboard (Google's keyboard) and Samsung Keyboard both surface the degree symbol through the symbols panel, though the exact navigation differs.

How to Type the Degree Symbol in HTML and Code

If you're writing for the web or working in code, the character has specific representations:

Most modern text editors and IDEs handle UTF-8 natively, so pasting ° directly into code is usually safe. For HTML specifically, ° is the most readable and reliable option.

Degree Symbol vs. Similar-Looking Characters

It's worth knowing that ° is not the same as these visually similar characters:

• º — Masculine ordinal indicator (used in Spanish/Portuguese abbreviations like 2º)
• ª — Feminine ordinal indicator
• ˚ — Ring above (a diacritic mark)

If you're working in a scientific, legal, or multilingual context, using the correct character matters for search indexing, screen readers, and data parsing.

Variables That Affect Which Method Works Best for You 🖥️

No single method is universally best. What works smoothly depends on:

• Your keyboard hardware — whether you have a full numpad affects Windows Alt code options
• Your OS and version — macOS and Windows handle special characters differently at the system level
• Your primary applications — a developer working in a code editor has different needs than someone writing recipes in Google Docs
• How frequently you need the symbol — occasional users are well served by copy-paste; frequent users may benefit from keyboard shortcuts or text expansion tools
• Your mobile platform and keyboard app — third-party keyboards on Android may have entirely different symbol layouts than the default

For power users who work across applications, text expansion utilities (like AutoHotkey on Windows or Keyboard Maestro on Mac) can map any custom trigger to output °, making platform-native shortcuts irrelevant.

The right method ultimately comes down to where you spend most of your time typing and how your specific device and software stack is configured.