How to Make a Degree Sign on Keyboard: 9 Methods for Windows, Mac & Mobile
The quickest way to make a degree sign (°) on your keyboard is Alt + 0176 on Windows (numeric keypad) or Option + Shift + 8 on Mac. No keypad? No problem, below are nine reliable methods for every device, from Character Map to copy-paste tricks that work anywhere.
I type the degree symbol daily, weather reports, cooking temperatures, math homework, and I’ve tested every shortcut here personally. Whether you’re on a desktop, a laptop without a numpad, or your phone, you’ll have ° at your cursor in seconds. Bookmark this page, the quick-reference table at the end puts every shortcut in one place.
How to Make a Degree Sign on a Windows Keyboard
Windows gives you two Alt codes for the degree sign. Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad, then release, ° appears. The shorter Alt + 248 works identically; use whichever you remember. Both codes must use the numpad, not the number row.
These Alt codes work in virtually every Windows program, Word, Excel, browsers, Notepad, even chat apps. The code maps to Unicode U+00B0, the official degree sign character, so it pastes cleanly into documents, emails, and every web form you use.
How to Make a Degree Sign on a Mac Keyboard
Mac makes this delightfully simple: press Option + Shift + 8 together and ° appears instantly, no keypad needed. It works in every Mac app, from Pages and Safari to Mail and Messages, because it’s a system-level keyboard shortcut.
Prefer the smaller, raised variant? Option + K produces ˚ (the ring above), which some writers prefer in temperatures like 72˚F. For most uses, though, stick with Option + Shift + 8, it gives the standard degree sign everyone recognizes.
Make a Degree Sign With Alt Codes
Alt codes are Windows’ oldest symbol trick, dating back to the DOS era, and they still work flawlessly. With Num Lock on, hold Alt, type 0176 on the numeric keypad, and release. Memorize this one code and you’ll never hunt for the symbol again.
Laptop without a numpad? Many laptops hide a numeric keypad under keys like 7-8-9-U-I-O-P-J-K-L, activated with Fn + Num Lock. Check your manual, or skip ahead to the Character Map and emoji panel methods, which need no keypad at all.
Use Character Map to Make a Degree Sign on Windows
When shortcuts fail, Character Map never does. Press Win + R, type “charmap”, and hit Enter. Find the degree sign (switch the font to Arial if it’s hiding), click Select, then Copy, then paste with Ctrl + V wherever you need it.
Bonus: Character Map shows the Alt code for any symbol you select, look at the status bar’s “Keystroke” field. It’s the fastest way to discover shortcuts for other symbols you type often, like ©, ®, or ± you use every day.
Make a Degree Sign With the Emoji & Symbols Panel
Windows 10 and 11 hide a symbols panel behind Win + . (period). Press it anywhere you’re typing, switch to the symbols tab (Ω), and click ° to insert it. It’s the friendliest method for occasional use, no codes to memorize.
On Mac, the equivalent is Control + Command + Space, which opens the Character Viewer. Type “degree” in its search box and double-click the symbol, you can even grab °F and °C variants directly. New MacBooks can open this with the Globe/Fn key.
How to Make a Degree Sign on iPhone and Android
On iPhone, switch to the numbers keyboard (tap 123), then press and hold the 0 key, a popup offers °. Slide your finger to it and release. It also works on the °F/°C combos some keyboards show, perfect for weather texts.
On Android (Gboard), tap ?123 for symbols, then look for °, on most layouts it’s on the second symbols page (tap =< for more). Long-pressing 0 sometimes works too, depending on your keyboard app. Once found, it types like any character.
How to Make a Degree Sign in HTML Code
Building a webpage? Never paste a raw ° and hope for the best, use the HTML entity ° or the numeric reference ° (or ° in hex). These render correctly in every browser regardless of the page’s character encoding.
The degree sign is officially Unicode U+00B0 in the Latin-1 Supplement block, verify it on the Unicode character charts. That codepoint also powers programming escapes like Python’s ‘\u00b0’, which render the symbol reliably in any app you build today.
Degree Sign Keyboard Shortcuts: Quick Reference Table
Here’s every method in one glance, screenshot this table or bookmark the page for later. Pick the row matching your device and operating system, and you’ll never have to search for the degree symbol again on a deadline tonight.
| Device | Method | Shortcut / Steps |
| Windows (numpad) | Alt code | Alt + 0176 or Alt + 248 |
| Windows (no numpad) | Character Map | Win + R → charmap → Select → Copy |
| Windows 10/11 | Emoji panel | Win + . → symbols tab → click ° |
| Mac | Keyboard shortcut | Option + Shift + 8 |
| Mac | Character Viewer | Control + Command + Space → search “degree” |
| iPhone | Long-press | 123 → long-press 0 → slide to ° |
| Android | Symbols keyboard | ?123 → second symbols page → tap ° |
| HTML / code | Entity | ° or ° |
If you bounce between devices like I do, memorize one method per device you own, Alt + 0176 for Windows, Option + Shift + 8 for Mac, long-press 0 on your phone. Three tiny habits, and the degree sign is always one second away.
What to Do When Your Degree Sign Shortcut Doesn’t Work
Two culprits cause most failures. First, Num Lock: if it’s off, the numpad types arrows instead of numbers, press Num Lock once and retry. Second, some apps remap Alt combinations, silently swallowing your shortcut before Windows sees it entirely.
Still stuck? Fall back to Character Map or the emoji panel, they never fail. And if you type symbols constantly, check out our guides to the does not equal sign and greater than and less than signs, and the diameter sign for the same shortcut-first treatment.
FAQs About Making the Degree Sign on a Keyboard
What is the Alt code for the degree sign?
Alt + 0176 (or the shorter Alt + 248) on the numeric keypad, with Num Lock turned on. Release Alt and ° appears at your cursor.
How do you type a degree sign on a laptop without a number pad?
Use Character Map (Win + R, type “charmap”), the Win + . emoji panel, or simply copy ° and paste it. Many laptops also hide a numpad under Fn + Num Lock.
What is the degree sign shortcut on Mac?
Option + Shift + 8 for the standard °. The smaller raised variant (˚) is Option + K.
How do you make a degree sign on iPhone?
Open the 123 numbers keyboard, long-press the 0 key, and slide your finger to °.
What is the HTML code for the degree sign?
° or °, both render ° correctly in every browser.
Jack Harrison is a contributor at Square Root Signs, sharing creative ideas, useful information, and engaging content to help readers discover something valuable with every visit.
