How to Type the Multiplication Sign (×) on Any Device

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

Quick answer: on Windows, hold Alt and type 0215 on the numeric keypad to get ×. In Word you can also type 00D7 and press Alt+X. On a Mac, use the Character Viewer (Control+Command+Space) because the US keyboard has no Option shortcut for it. In formulas and code, multiplication is written with the asterisk * instead.

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.

× vs x vs *

Three different characters get used for "times", and each has its place:

• × (multiplication sign, U+00D7) is the correct sign in written maths and text: 3 × 4 = 12, a 1920 × 1080 screen, 10× zoom.
• x (the letter) is a common substitute when people cannot find ×. It works visually but sits lower, can be mistaken for a variable, and is read as "ex" by screen readers.
• * (asterisk) is the multiplication operator in spreadsheets, calculators and programming languages: =A1*B1.

In algebra, multiplication is often shown with a raised dot instead (a · b) or simply by writing letters together (ab). The middle dot · (Alt+0183) and the dot operator ⋅ are both in the table above.

Windows

1. Make sure Num Lock is on.
2. Hold the left Alt key and type 0215 on the numeric keypad.
3. Release Alt.

The code comes from the Windows-1252 table, so the leading zero matters. Laptop without a numeric keypad? Press Win+., open the Symbols tab and choose the math group, or see Alt codes not working for other options.

Mac

The US and ABC layouts have no Option shortcut that types ×. (Option+X types ≈, which is a different sign.) Press Control+Command+Space, search "multiplication" and double-click ×. If you need it often, add a text replacement such as ;x → ×.

Word, Google Docs and Excel

• Word: type 00D7 then Alt+X. Inside an equation (Alt+=), type \times and a space. See how to insert symbols in Word.
• Google Docs: Insert → Special characters, then search "multiplication".
• Excel and Google Sheets: use * in formulas. To show × in a label, type Alt+0215 or use =UNICHAR(215).

iPhone and Android

The iPhone keyboard has no × key, so copy it once and save a text replacement. Many Android keyboards, Gboard included, put × and ÷ on the second symbols page (tap ?123, then =\<). Calculator apps show × on the button but usually paste nothing special.

HTML and code

In HTML use × or ×. In CSS content: "\00D7"; and in JavaScript "×". A common use is a close button: the × character is often used as the "close" icon on pop-ups, though the dingbats ✕ and ✖ are designed for that look.

Related signs

For the other arithmetic signs see ÷ division, ± plus-minus and √ square root, or browse our math symbols page.

Frequently asked questions