How to Type a Degree Symbol on Windows, macOS, and Android

Whether you're a student, a professional, or someone who needs to use special characters when typing, you may have come across the degree symbol. The degree symbol often represented as “°”, is a vital character used in various fields. For instance, mathematics, physics, engineering, and geography denote temperature, angles, geographic coordinates, and other related measurements.

If you're wondering how to type a degree symbol with your keyboard, there are different ways. It depends on the type of keyboard you're using and the software you're working with. To make inserting the degree symbol even easier, you can create a hotkey or shortcut that automatically inserts it whenever needed. 

Some online resources and tools can help you type a degree symbol, such as websites that provide a virtual keyboard or a copy-paste function. Knowing how to use these methods saves time and effort when typing technical documents or data requiring a degree character.

This tutorial will guide you through the steps for inserting a degree symbol on different keyboards and using other software.

How to Write a Degree Symbol on Windows Using ASCii Codes (Keyboard Shortcut)

1. Press and hold the “Alt” key and type “0167” to insert a degree symbol in your text
    
   Ensure the “NumLock” is on before typing “0167” on your keypad. If there's no keypad, press and hold the “fn” key first before typing “0167“.
    
   
   

How to Insert a Degree ° Symbol on Windows 10  / Windows 11 Using the Emoji Panel

1. Press the “Windows + period” key to open up the emoji keyboard
    
   
   
2. On the emoji keyboard, click on the icon that resembles multiple symbols, as shown in the picture
    
   
   
3. Select the “°” degree symbol from the options to insert it in your text
    
   
   

How to Insert a Degree Symbol on Windows Using the Catchchar Application

What is CatchChar?

CatchChar is a small Windows utility designed to help users insert special characters or symbols not readily available on their keyboard. It allows users to quickly locate and insert characters like a degree symbol from a comprehensive database of Unicode characters. It can be accessed from the system tray or via a customizable hotkey.

1. Download the application “CatchChar” by visiting “Softpedia” or another software archive
    
    
   
   
2. Click on the “Windows” icon in the taskbar, type in “CatchChar”, and open the app
    
   
   
3. To launch “CatchChar”, you need to press “Alt + Shift + 5”
    
   Click the “OK” button to move forward.
    
   
   
4. In “CatchChar”, select “Edit Menu…”
    
   
   
5. Add a degree symbol character to the “CatchChar” application
    
   In the “Setup Characters Menu“, type “Alt + 0176” in the text box next to the “New Character” and click on “Add Character“.
    
   
   
6. The degree ° symbol will be added to the list, and click on the “Apply” button
    
   
   
7. Go to the “WordPad” or “Notepad”, press “Alt+Shift+5”, and select the degree symbol from the list
    
   
   

How to Insert a Degree Symbol on a Mac With Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Press “option + shift + 8” to insert the degree ° symbol in your text
    
   
   

How to Enter a Degree Symbol on Chromebooks / ChromeOS, or Linux

1. Press “Ctrl + Shift + u” to write underlined “u” in your text
    
   
   
2. Without clicking away, you need to type “OBBA and Press Enter”
    
   
   
3. The underlined “u” will be turned into the degree ° symbol in your text
    
   
   

How to Type a Degree Symbol on Android Smartphones

⚠️ Please note: The process described below is the same in most android smartphones. However, remember that the UI screenshots used here may look slightly different. We'll point out any changes you need to be aware of as they come up.

1. Tap on the text area in which you want to write your text, and tap the “123” button at the bottom left corner of your mobile keyboard
    
   
   
2. Tap the “(&=” button to access the special character keyboard page
    
   If you are using a Samsung Android phone, tap the button that says “1/2”, and if you are using the Google Gboard, tap the to access the special character keyboard page.
    
   
   
3. Find the degree ° symbol and tap on it to insert it into your text
    
   
   
4. The degree ° symbol will be inserted into your text
    
   

Extra: How to Remap Keys on Windows 11 / Windows 10

Default keyboard layouts are meant to apply to a broad range of people, not cater to individual needs. As a result, you may be wondering how to remap keys in Windows 11 and Windows 10 to suit your preferences – for example, to assign the degree symbol to a certain key instead of the pre-set character.

Extra: How to Open the Windows 11 Touch Keyboard

If you're using any tablet or touch screen laptop, it's useful to know how to open the Windows 11 touch keyboard. Even if you have a dedicated keyboard or type cover, the Windows 11 touch keyboard allows you to travel lighter or use the device easier when not in a traditional seated position.

Extra: How to Make Emoji, Kamoji, and GIFs on Your Keyboard in Windows 11 / Windows 10

Inserting emoji on a mobile phone is a piece of cake – you already use a software keyboard, which can be updated as often as is needed. Inserting emoji on a computer is a little more complex, however. Our hardware keyboards aren't designed to accommodate emojis, and many apps don't have their own emoji, kaomoji, or GIF interfaces. Thankfully, Microsoft added the ability to add emojis and GIFs in the Fall Creators Update quickly and has added the Windows kaomoji keyboard and GIF keyboard.