How to Type the Degree Symbol (°) on Windows, Mac, iPhone & Android

How-To Guides · 4 min read · Published August 8, 2026 · Updated August 27, 2026

The degree symbol (°) is used for temperatures (20°C), angles (90°), and geographic coordinates. It’s not on any standard keyboard, but it’s one of the easiest special characters to type once you know the shortcut for your device.

Below is every reliable method, followed by a quick reference table generated from our verified character database.

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.

The fastest method on each device

Windows: Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad, then release. This uses the Windows-1252 code page, where 176 maps to the degree sign.

Mac: Press Option + Shift + 8. (Plain Option+8 gives the bullet •, so don’t forget Shift.)

iPhone / iPad: On the number keypad, press and hold the 0 key — a small ° pops up. Slide to select it.

Android: Switch to the symbols keyboard (?123), then press and hold 0 to reveal the degree sign.

HTML: use ° or °.

Microsoft Word: type 00B0 then press Alt+X.

Degree vs. the look-alikes

Three characters look almost identical but are different: the true degree sign (°, U+00B0), the masculine ordinal indicator (º, used in Spanish like 1º), and the ring above (˚). For temperatures and angles you always want U+00B0 — the one Alt+0176 produces. Using the wrong one can cause problems in spreadsheets and search.

Handy tips

• For °C and °F there are single characters too (℃ and ℉), but plain ° followed by C or F is more widely supported.
• In Google Docs, Insert → Special characters, then search "degree".
• On a laptop with no numpad, copy the ° from the button above instead of hunting for an Alt code.

Frequently asked questions

Related symbols