Degree Symbol Shortcut (°)
To type the degree symbol (°): press ⌥⇧8 (Option+Shift+8) on a Mac, or hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad on Windows. Use it for temperatures (20°C) and angles (90°).
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree ° | ⌥⇧8 | Alt+0176 | |
| Degree (copy) | ° | ° | |
| Celsius ℃ | copy ℃ | copy ℃ | |
| Fahrenheit ℉ | copy ℉ | copy ℉ |
The degree symbol on Mac vs Windows
The degree symbol (°) is used for temperature (20°C) and angles (90°). On a Mac press ⌥⇧8 (Option + Shift + 8). On Windows, hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad, then release. No number pad? Copy the ° above, or use Windows emoji panel Win+. and search "degree".
Temperature: 20°C and 20 °F
Style guides differ on the space: 20°C is common, while scientific style writes 20 °C with a thin space. For a whole unit character there is ℃ and ℉, but the plain ° before C or F is what almost everyone uses and reads cleanly everywhere.
FAQ
What is the degree symbol shortcut?
On a Mac press ⌥⇧8 (Option+Shift+8). On Windows hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
How do I type ° on a laptop without a number pad?
Copy the ° from this page, or on Windows open the emoji panel with Win+. and search for "degree". On Mac ⌥⇧8 works on any keyboard.
How do I type 20 degrees Celsius?
Type the number, then the degree symbol, then C — for example 20°C. The degree symbol is ⌥⇧8 on Mac or Alt+0176 on Windows.