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You often need the degree symbol (°) when you are writing about temperatures (like 25°C), angles (like a 90° angle), or other measurements. If you need to type this symbol on your device, you don’t have to search for it online or copy and paste it every single time.
This guide will show you how to quickly type the degree symbol on Windows computers, Mac computers, iPhones, and Android phones.
Windows Keyboard: How You Can Type the Degree Symbol
If you are using a Windows PC, here are a few easy ways you can type the degree symbol:
Alt Code Method (Best if your keyboard has a separate number pad)
- First, make sure your keyboard has a separate numeric keypad (this is the block of number keys usually found on the right side of your keyboard).
- Check that the Num Lock key is turned on. Usually, there’s a light on your keyboard that shows if Num Lock is active.
- Press and hold down the Alt key on your keyboard.
- While you are still holding the Alt key, type the numbers 0176 using the numeric keypad (do not use the number keys along the top of your keyboard).
- Release the Alt key. The ° symbol should now appear where your cursor is.
Character Map Tool (Useful if you don’t have a number pad or forget the Alt code)
- Click the Start button (it usually looks like the Windows logo) on your screen, or press the Windows key on your keyboard.
- In the search bar, type “Character Map” and then press Enter, or click on the Character Map app when it appears in the search results.
- The Character Map window will open. Look through the grid of symbols to find the ° symbol. You might need to scroll down a bit.
- Click on the ° symbol once to select it.
- Then, click the “Select” button, and after that, click the “Copy” button.
- Now you can go to your document, email, or any other place you want to type, and paste the symbol (you can usually do this by pressing Ctrl + V on your keyboard or by right-clicking and choosing “Paste”).
Emoji Panel Shortcut (Available on Windows 10 and Windows 11)
- Press the Windows key and the . (period key) on your keyboard at the same time. This will open the emoji panel.
- In the emoji panel, you can click on the symbols tab (it often looks like an omega symbol: Ω) and then look for the degree symbol in the “General Punctuation” or a similar category.
- Alternatively, you can type the word “degree” into the search bar at the top of the emoji panel.
- Click on the ° symbol from the results, and it will be inserted into your text.
Mac Keyboard: How You Can Type the Degree Symbol
If you are using a Mac computer (running macOS), typing the degree symbol is very simple for you:
- Press and hold the Option key, then press and hold the Shift key, and then press the 8 key. (All three keys should be pressed at roughly the same time: Option + Shift + 8).
- The ° symbol will immediately appear.
You can use this shortcut in almost any application on your Mac where you can type text, such as in documents, notes, emails, or when typing in your web browser.
How to Type the Degree Symbol on Your iPhone or Android Phone
It’s also easy for you to type the ° symbol on your mobile phone’s keyboard:
On an iPhone:
- When your keyboard is visible, tap the “123” button (usually in the bottom left) to switch to the number and symbol layout.
- Find the 0 (zero) key. Tap and hold your finger down on the 0 key.
- A small pop-up menu will appear above the 0 key, showing different symbols. Without lifting your finger from the screen, slide your finger over to the ° symbol in that pop-up.
- Lift your finger. The degree symbol will be inserted into your text.
On an Android Phone
(Note: Android keyboards can look slightly different depending on your phone’s manufacturer, but these steps generally work.)
- When your keyboard is visible, tap the key that switches you to numbers and symbols. This key often looks like “?123”, “Sym”, or an icon with various symbols.
- Look for the 0 (zero) key on the number/symbol layout. Tap and hold your finger down on the 0 key.
- A small pop-up menu should appear above the key, showing extra symbols. Slide your finger to select the ° symbol from this menu, and then lift your finger.
- Alternatively, on some Android keyboards, after you tap the “?123” or “Sym” key, you might find the ° symbol directly available on one of the symbol pages. You may need to tap another key (often showing symbols like “=\<” or indicating more pages of symbols) to find it.
Quick Copy-Paste Option if You’re in a Hurry
If you only need the degree symbol once in a while, or if you are on a device where you can’t easily find the shortcut right away, you can always copy it from text like this one: ° (You can select and copy the symbol above.)
This copy-paste method can be handy for quick messages in chats, social media posts, or if you are using a less common device that might not have a built-in shortcut.
You can choose the method that works best for your particular device. Once you learn the shortcut for the device you use most often, typing the ° symbol will become quick and easy for you!
We hope this guide helped you learn how to type the degree symbol! If it did, please consider sharing it. Do you have another favorite way to type this symbol? Let us know in the comments below!