You're staring at the screen, and you need that tiny circle. Maybe you're writing a recipe for 450°F sourdough or doing a geometry assignment involving a 90° angle. You look at your keyboard. Nothing. It’s not next to the percent sign, and it’s definitely not hiding behind the zero. Honestly, it’s one of those minor tech annoyances that makes you feel like you’ve forgotten how to use a computer. You end up typing out the word "degrees" like it's 1995, or you go to Google, search for the symbol, and copy-paste it. That’s a huge waste of time.
Stop doing that.
Learning how do you type degrees symbol is basically a rite of passage for anyone who writes more than three emails a week. Whether you're on a Mac, a PC, an iPhone, or some obscure Linux build, there is a dedicated shortcut for this. It’s not just about speed; it’s about making your professional documents look like they were actually written by a professional. A "90 degree angle" looks amateur. A 90° angle looks sharp.
The Secret Codes for Windows Users
Windows is weirdly inconsistent about this. If you have a full-sized keyboard with a dedicated number pad on the right, you are in luck. You can use Alt codes. These are little "secret handshakes" between you and the operating system. Hold down the Alt key and type 0176 on that number pad. Boom. The degree symbol appears. Note that this usually doesn't work with the numbers across the top of your keyboard; it has to be the Numpad.
But what if you're on a laptop? Most modern laptops ditched the Numpad years ago to save space. In that case, you have a couple of choices. You can use the Windows Key + Period (.) shortcut. This opens the emoji and symbol picker. It’s a lifesaver. Once that menu pops up, click the symbols icon (it looks like an omega sign $\Omega$) and scroll down until you see our little circular friend. It’s usually tucked away in the "General Punctuation" or "Latin-1 Supplement" section.
There's also an old-school way: the Character Map. Type "Character Map" into your Start menu. It looks like a relic from Windows 95, because it basically is. But it works. You find the symbol, click select, click copy, and move on with your life. Is it fast? No. Is it reliable? Absolutely.
Mac Shortcuts are Actually Intuitive
Apple users usually have it easier when it comes to typography. They built these shortcuts into the OS decades ago. If you want the degree symbol on a Mac, you just hit Option + Shift + 8. It’s immediate.
Wait, though. There is a catch.
There is actually another symbol that looks almost identical: the masculine ordinal indicator (º). On a Mac, if you hit Option + 0, you get that instead. To the naked eye, they look the same. But if you’re doing scientific publishing or high-end design work, they are technically different characters. The degree symbol is $^\circ$ (Unicode U+00B0), while the ordinal is used for things like "1º" in Spanish or Italian. Stick to Option + Shift + 8 to be safe. It’s the "true" degree mark.
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Mobile Life: iPhone and Android
Typing on a phone is a thumb-heavy nightmare, but the degree symbol is actually easier to find here than on a desktop. On an iPhone or iPad, bring up your keyboard and tap the 123 button. Now, look at the 0 (zero) key. Don't just tap it. Long-press it. A little bubble will pop up with the degree symbol. Slide your finger over and let go.
Android is nearly identical, though it depends on which keyboard app you use. If you’re using Gboard (the Google keyboard), it’s usually under the ?123 menu. Hit that, then hit the =< key to see more symbols. The degree symbol lives there. On some versions of the Samsung keyboard, you can find it by long-pressing the period key or looking in the secondary symbols menu.
Microsoft Word and Google Docs Workarounds
Sometimes the operating system shortcuts fail you because of a software conflict. If you are specifically working in Microsoft Word, there’s a built-in shortcut that bypasses the Windows Alt codes. Press Ctrl + @, then press the Spacebar. It’s a bit clunky, but it works. Alternatively, go to the "Insert" tab, click "Symbol," and you'll find it in the "Recently Used" list if you've used it lately.
Google Docs is different. It doesn't really have a proprietary shortcut, but it has a "Special Characters" menu under "Insert." The cool part? You can actually draw the symbol. Open the Special Characters box and draw a little circle in the drawing pad. The AI will recognize it and suggest the degree symbol. It's surprisingly satisfying.
Why Does This Matter?
You might think, "Who cares? People know what I mean." Sure, they do. But accuracy in "micro-typography" signals a level of attention to detail. If you are a contractor sending a bid for a HVAC job and you write 72° instead of "72 degrees," it just looks cleaner. If you are a student, your TA will appreciate the formatting.
Interestingly, there’s a whole world of "degree-like" symbols that people mix up. There’s the ring above ($^\circ$), used in Scandinavian languages (like in the letter Å). There’s the composition symbol ($\circ$) used in math to denote the composition of functions. Then there’s the Celsius and Fahrenheit symbols themselves (℃ and ℉), which are technically single Unicode characters, though most people just type the degree symbol followed by a capital C or F.
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Pro-Level Automation: Text Replacement
If you find yourself asking how do you type degrees symbol once a week, you should probably just automate it. Both Windows and macOS have "Text Replacement" features.
On a Mac, go to System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements. Click the plus sign. In the "Replace" box, type something like "degsec." In the "With" box, paste the ° symbol. Now, every time you type "degsec," your computer will instantly swap it for the symbol.
Windows users can do this with a free tool like AutoHotkey or even just the built-in "Text Suggestions" in the settings. If you use a specific app like Slack or Discord, they often have their own markdown-style shortcuts, though the degree symbol isn't usually standard.
Technical Summary of Shortcuts
Since we've covered a lot of ground, let's break down the fastest ways to get this done without the fluff.
- Windows (with Numpad): Alt + 0176
- Windows (Laptop/No Numpad): Win + . (Period) then search symbols
- macOS: Option + Shift + 8
- iOS/Android: Long-press the 0 (Zero) key
- Chromebook: Ctrl + Shift + U, then type 00b0, then Enter
Don't Forget the Space
One last thing: the "style" of using the degree symbol. Most style guides, like the International System of Units (SI), suggest that there should NOT be a space between the number and the degree symbol, but there SHOULD be a space between the degree symbol and the letter representing the scale. For example, 32 °C is technically more "correct" in a scientific context than 32°C, though the latter is used everywhere in common US English. If you’re just talking about an angle, like a 45° turn, keep the symbol snug against the number.
Honestly, once you memorize your specific device's shortcut, you'll never go back. It's one of those tiny "life hacks" that actually sticks.
Actionable Next Steps
- Try it right now: Open a notepad or a blank doc and try the shortcut for your specific device. If you're on Windows, try the Win + . method first; it's the most versatile.
- Set up a shortcut: If you’re on a Mac or use a text expander, create a snippet so you never have to remember the key combo again.
- Check your phone: Long-press that zero key on your smartphone keyboard just to make sure you know where it lives before you actually need it in a text.
The goal is to stop searching for it. Make it muscle memory. Your future self, writing about the weather or baking a cake, will thank you for the extra three seconds you saved.