Where Is the Degree Symbol on a Keyboard? Every Method Explained

Typing a degree symbol (°) seems like it should be simple — but if you've ever hunted across your keyboard looking for it, you already know it's not printed on any standard key. Whether you're typing temperatures, coordinates, or angles, here's exactly how to produce the ° symbol across every major platform and device.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboards follow the QWERTY layout, which was designed around the most frequently typed characters in English. Punctuation like @, #, and & earned dedicated keys. The degree symbol — useful but not an everyday character for most typists — didn't make the cut.

Instead, it lives in a layer of special characters that every operating system supports, each accessed slightly differently depending on your OS, device type, and even your keyboard's regional settings.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Windows

Windows offers several methods, and which one works best depends on how often you need the symbol.

Method 1: Alt Code (Numeric Keypad Required)

Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the number row at the top). Release Alt, and ° appears.

⚠️ This only works if your keyboard has a dedicated numeric keypad. Laptop keyboards without one typically won't trigger this shortcut using Fn + number row keys, though some models do support it.

Method 2: Character Map

Search for Character Map in the Start menu. Find the degree symbol, click Copy, then paste it into your document. Slow, but reliable on any Windows device.

Method 3: Copy-Paste via Search

Type "degree symbol" into any search engine. Google and Bing display the character directly in results — copy it from there. Not elegant, but it works anywhere.

Method 4: Microsoft Word AutoCorrect / Insert Symbol

In Word or Outlook, go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Search for "degree." Once inserted, Word remembers it in your Recently Used Symbols list for fast access later.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Mac

Macs handle this more cleanly.

• Keyboard shortcut: Press Option + Shift + 8 — this immediately produces °.

This shortcut works system-wide: in browsers, text editors, email clients, and most apps. It's worth memorizing if you're on macOS.

You can also access it through Edit → Emoji & Symbols (or Control + Command + Space) and searching "degree."

How to Type the Degree Symbol on iPhone and iPad 📱

Apple's mobile keyboard hides the degree symbol inside the number/symbol layer:

1. Tap the 123 key to switch to numbers.
2. Press and hold the 0 (zero) key.
3. A popup appears with the degree symbol (°) — slide your finger to it and release.

This works in any app that uses the standard iOS keyboard.

How to Type the Degree Symbol on Android

Android keyboard behavior varies slightly by manufacturer and keyboard app (Gboard, Samsung Keyboard, SwiftKey, etc.), but the general method is consistent:

1. Switch to the numbers/symbols layer (tap ?123 or !#1).
2. Press and hold the 0 key.
3. Select ° from the popup.

On some Android keyboards, the degree symbol may instead appear by long-pressing a different key, or by tapping a secondary symbols layer (=< or #+=-). If the standard method doesn't work, the secondary symbols screen is the next place to look.

Degree Symbol in Specific Software Contexts

A Note on Unicode

The degree symbol has a fixed position in the Unicode standard: U+00B0. This means it renders consistently across operating systems, browsers, and fonts — once you've typed it, it will display correctly almost everywhere. It's distinct from similar-looking characters like the masculine ordinal indicator (º) or the ring above diacritic (˚), which can appear visually similar but carry different meanings in encoded text.

The Variables That Affect Which Method Works for You

There's no single universal shortcut because several factors shape your experience:

• Keyboard type — Full desktop keyboards with numeric keypads unlock Alt codes. Compact and laptop keyboards often don't.
• Operating system — macOS and Windows handle special characters through completely different systems.
• Third-party keyboard apps — On Android especially, your keyboard app (and its version) determines what's available and where.
• Application context — A code editor, a word processor, and a browser input field may respond differently to the same shortcut.
• Regional keyboard layout — Some European keyboard layouts (French AZERTY, for example) surface special characters at different key positions than QWERTY.

The method that's genuinely easiest depends on how often you need the symbol, what device you're on, and what software you're working inside — and those pieces of the puzzle are specific to your own setup.