The degree symbol, °, shows up in weather reports, oven temperatures, angles, map coordinates and the strength of a pair of glasses. It is one of the most searched characters on the web, mostly by people who know exactly what they want and just cannot find it on the keyboard.
If you only need it once, copy it from here: °. If you need it often, the shortcut for your device is below.
The quick answer
| Device | How to type ° |
|---|---|
| Windows | Hold Alt, type 0176 on the number pad, release Alt |
| Mac | Option + Shift + 8 |
| iPhone and iPad | Press and hold 0, slide to ° |
| Android (Gboard) | ?123, then =\<, then ° |
| Linux and ChromeOS | Ctrl + Shift + U, then b0, then Enter |
| Microsoft Word | Type 00B0, then press Alt + X |
| HTML | ° or ° |
On Windows
The classic method is an Alt code. Make sure Num Lock is on, hold down the Alt key, type 0176 on the numeric keypad on the right of the keyboard, and release Alt. The degree sign appears. The shorter code Alt + 248 also works in most programs, because it comes from the older DOS character set, where the degree sign sits at position 248.
Alt codes only work with the separate number pad. The digits above the letters do nothing. If your laptop has no number pad, use one of these instead:
- Emoji and symbols panel. Press the Windows key and the period key. Open the symbols tab and look in the Latin symbols group, or type “degree” in the search box where it is available.
- Character Map. Open it from the Start menu, tick Advanced view, search for “degree” and copy the sign.
- Microsoft Word. Type 00B0 and press Alt + X. Word turns the code into °. You can also use Insert, Symbol.
On a Mac
Press Option + Shift + 8 on a US or UK keyboard. That gives the true degree sign.
There is a trap here. Option + K produces a similar-looking small circle, ˚, which is the “ring above” accent, not the degree sign. It looks right on screen but it is a different character, and search engines, screen readers and spreadsheets treat it differently. Stick to Option + Shift + 8.
If your keyboard layout is different, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search for “degree” and double-click the result.
On iPhone and iPad
Switch to the number keyboard with the 123 key, then press and hold the 0 key. A small bubble appears with the degree sign. Slide your finger onto it and lift.
If you type temperatures often, add a text replacement in Settings, General, Keyboard, Text Replacement: for example, make “dgg” turn into °.
On Android
On Gboard, the keyboard on most Android phones, tap ?123, then the =\< key to reach the second page of symbols. The degree sign is there, usually in the top rows. Other keyboards, such as Samsung’s, keep it on one of the symbol pages too; some also show it when you press and hold 0.
On Linux and ChromeOS
Press Ctrl + Shift + U, release, type b0 and press Enter or Space. If you have set up a Compose key, Compose followed by o and o also gives °.
In Google Docs and Google Sheets
In Google Docs, open Insert, Special characters and type “degree” in the search box, or draw a small circle in the drawing area. In Google Sheets there is no special characters menu, so type the shortcut for your device or paste the sign. In a formula, CHAR(176) returns the degree sign, so =A1&CHAR(176)&”C” shows a temperature with its unit.
In HTML and code
On a web page, write ° or °. Both display °. In CSS content, use "\00B0". In JavaScript and JSON strings, use "°". In Python, "°" or simply paste the character into a UTF-8 file.
Look-alikes that are not the degree sign
Three characters are often confused with the degree symbol, and each one is a different code point:
| Character | Name | Code | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ° | Degree sign | U+00B0 | Temperatures, angles, coordinates |
| º | Masculine ordinal indicator | U+00BA | Spanish and Portuguese ordinals, as in 1º |
| ˚ | Ring above | U+02DA | An accent, typed by Option + K on a Mac |
| ⁰ | Superscript zero | U+2070 | Exponents, as in 10⁰ |
They look nearly identical in many fonts. The masculine ordinal often has a small line under it, and the superscript zero is taller and oval. If a temperature looks slightly off, or a search on your own document does not find it, you may have typed one of these by mistake.
How to write temperatures and angles
Style guides differ on spacing, so the useful rule is to be consistent:
- Temperatures: the degree sign usually sits right after the number and is followed by the scale with no space, as in 21°C or 70°F. The International System of Units prefers a space before °C, as in 21 °C, which is common in scientific writing.
- Angles: no space, as in a 90° turn or 45° slope.
- Coordinates: degrees, minutes and seconds use °, ′ and ″, as in 40°26′46″ N. The minute and second marks are primes, not apostrophes or quotation marks.
Find it faster next time
If you need the degree sign alongside other symbols, such as the prime marks for coordinates or the ± sign for tolerances, Insert Unicode Characters finds them all by name and copies each one with a click. For the full picture of typing symbols on every device, see our guide to special characters.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alt code for the degree symbol?
Alt + 0176, typed on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on. Alt + 248 also works in most Windows programs.
How do I type the degree symbol on a laptop without a number pad?
On Windows, press the Windows key and the period key and pick ° from the symbols tab, or use Character Map. On a Mac, press Option + Shift + 8. On any laptop, you can also copy ° from a character list and paste it.
Is ° the same as º?
No. ° is the degree sign (U+00B0) and º is the masculine ordinal indicator (U+00BA), used in Spanish and Portuguese for ordinals. They look alike but are different characters.
Should there be a space between the number and °C?
Both forms are used. 21°C with no space is common in everyday writing; 21 °C with a space follows the International System of Units and is usual in science. Pick one and use it consistently.