How to Type Symbols on a Chromebook (Ctrl+Shift+U and More)

How-To Guides · 3 min read · Published October 25, 2026

Quick answer: on a Chromebook, press Ctrl+Shift+U, type the symbol's Unicode code and press Space or Enter. For example, 2192 gives → and 00B0 gives °. If you don't know the code, open the emoji picker with Search+Shift+Space and search for the symbol. Windows Alt codes do not work on ChromeOS.

Quick reference: every method

Every Alt code below is verified against the real Windows code pages — where none exists we say so, rather than list one that won’t work.

Method 1: Ctrl + Shift + U and the Unicode code

1. Click where the symbol should go.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+U. An underlined u appears.
3. Type the hex code (the part after "U+" on any symbol page of this site).
4. Press Space or Enter.

These are the same codes that Word uses with Alt+X, so one list works on both (what a Unicode code is).

Method 2: the emoji picker

Press Search+Shift+Space (the Search key is also called the Launcher key), or right-click in a text field and choose Emoji. Type a word such as "arrow" or "heart" to search. Recent ChromeOS versions also show symbol and emoticon tabs in the same window.

Method 3: accents with the International keyboard

1. Open Settings and go to the keyboard language (input) settings.
2. Add English (US) with International keyboard.
3. Switch keyboards with Ctrl+Shift+Space, or go back to the previous one with Ctrl+Space. The current keyboard is shown on the shelf next to the clock.

With it, accent keys work as dead keys: ' then e gives é, ` then a gives à, " then u gives ü, and ~ then n gives ñ. Type the accent key and then Space to get the plain mark. The right Alt key (AltGr) adds more letters. Language-specific guides: French, Spanish, German.

Method 4: Google Docs and copy-paste

• In Google Docs and Slides, Insert → Symbols → Special characters lets you search or draw any symbol (Docs guide).
• In Google Sheets, use =CHAR(9733) and similar formulas (Sheets guide).
• Copy any symbol from this site and paste it with Ctrl+V.

Why Alt codes don't work

Numpad Alt codes are handled by Windows, not by the keyboard, so a USB numeric keypad does not add them to a Chromebook. Ctrl+Shift+U is the ChromeOS equivalent and covers every Unicode character, not just the first 256 (how Alt codes work).

Troubleshooting

• Ctrl+Shift+U does nothing in one app: some web apps and Android apps capture the shortcut. Use the emoji picker or paste instead.
• Keys type the wrong characters: you may have switched keyboard by accident with Ctrl+Shift+Space. Check the shelf.
• A box appears instead of the symbol: the font lacks it (fix).

Related: symbols on Linux, which uses the same Ctrl+Shift+U idea.

Frequently asked questions