How to type symbols on Windows
Five ways to type symbols on Windows 10 and 11, from Alt codes to the built-in symbols panel, with a table of the codes people look up most.
Alt codes on the numeric keypad
An Alt code is a number you type while holding Alt. Codes that start with 0 come from code page 1252 (the Windows code page for Western languages); shorter codes come from code page 437, the character set of the original IBM PC.
- Turn on Num Lock.
- Hold the left Alt key and type the code on the numeric keypad (not the number row).
- Let go of Alt: the symbol appears.
| Symbol | Alt + 0… | Alt + … | Word (Alt + X) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Euro symbol | Alt+0128 | – | 20AC Alt+X |
| Degree symbol | Alt+0176 | Alt+248 | 00B0 Alt+X |
| Plus or minus symbol | Alt+0177 | Alt+241 | 00B1 Alt+X |
| Approximately symbol | – | Alt+247 | 2248 Alt+X |
| Less than or equal to symbol | – | Alt+243 | 2264 Alt+X |
| Greater than or equal to symbol | – | Alt+242 | 2265 Alt+X |
| Multiplication sign | Alt+0215 | – | 00D7 Alt+X |
| Divide symbol | Alt+0247 | Alt+246 | 00F7 Alt+X |
| Copyright symbol | Alt+0169 | – | 00A9 Alt+X |
| Registered trademark symbol | Alt+0174 | – | 00AE Alt+X |
| TM symbol | Alt+0153 | – | 2122 Alt+X |
| Section symbol | Alt+0167 | Alt+21 | 00A7 Alt+X |
| Paragraph symbol (pilcrow) | Alt+0182 | Alt+20 | 00B6 Alt+X |
| Ellipsis symbol | Alt+0133 | – | 2026 Alt+X |
| Em dash | Alt+0151 | – | 2014 Alt+X |
| En dash | Alt+0150 | – | 2013 Alt+X |
| Bullet point symbol | Alt+0149 | Alt+7 | 2022 Alt+X |
| One half fraction | Alt+0189 | Alt+171 | 00BD Alt+X |
| Squared symbol | Alt+0178 | Alt+253 | 00B2 Alt+X |
| Micro symbol | Alt+0181 | Alt+230 | 00B5 Alt+X |
| O with stroke | Alt+0216 | – | 00D8 Alt+X |
| Left guillemet (angle quote) | Alt+0171 | Alt+174 | 00AB Alt+X |
| Right guillemet | Alt+0187 | Alt+175 | 00BB Alt+X |
| Heart symbol | – | Alt+3 | 2665 Alt+X |
| Smiley face symbol | – | Alt+1 | 263A Alt+X |
| Music note symbol | – | Alt+13 | 266A Alt+X |
| Right arrow symbol | – | Alt+26 | 2192 Alt+X |
| Left arrow symbol | – | Alt+27 | 2190 Alt+X |
| Up arrow symbol | – | Alt+24 | 2191 Alt+X |
| Down arrow symbol | – | Alt+25 | 2193 Alt+X |
| Upside down question mark | Alt+0191 | Alt+168 | 00BF Alt+X |
| Upside down exclamation mark | Alt+0161 | Alt+173 | 00A1 Alt+X |
| One quarter fraction | Alt+0188 | Alt+172 | 00BC Alt+X |
| Three quarters fraction | Alt+0190 | – | 00BE Alt+X |
| Cubed symbol | Alt+0179 | – | 00B3 Alt+X |
| Cent symbol | Alt+0162 | Alt+155 | 00A2 Alt+X |
| Pound symbol | Alt+0163 | Alt+156 | 00A3 Alt+X |
| Yen symbol | Alt+0165 | Alt+157 | 00A5 Alt+X |
| Letter N with tilde (enye) | Alt+0241 | Alt+164 | 00F1 Alt+X |
| Latin capital letter n with tilde | Alt+0209 | Alt+165 | 00D1 Alt+X |
| C cedilla | Alt+0231 | Alt+135 | 00E7 Alt+X |
| Latin small letter e with acute | Alt+0233 | Alt+130 | 00E9 Alt+X |
| Latin small letter u with diaeresis | Alt+0252 | Alt+129 | 00FC Alt+X |
The emoji and symbols panel
Windows 10 and 11 have a panel with emoji, kaomoji and symbols. Open it with Win+.: it works in almost every app and needs no numeric keypad.
- Click where you want the symbol.
- Press Win+. (the full stop key).
- Open the symbols tab (Ω) and choose a category: punctuation, currency, Latin, geometric, maths, supplemental or language symbols.
- Click the symbol to insert it. The panel remembers the ones you used recently.
Alt + X in Word and Outlook
Microsoft Word and Outlook can turn any Unicode code into its character. Type the hex code, for example 2665, and press Alt+X right after it: you get ♥. Press it again to see the code of the character before the cursor.
Character Map
Character Map is an old but complete tool that ships with every Windows version.
- Press Win+R, type charmap and press Enter.
- Tick Advanced view and type a name (for example "degree") in Search for.
- Double-click the symbol, then click Copy.
- Paste it with Ctrl+V. The bottom line also shows its Alt code when it has one.
Laptop without a numeric keypad
Alt codes only work with the digits of a numeric keypad, not the number row. On a laptop you have these options:
- Use the symbols panel: Win+..
- Some laptops have a hidden keypad on the U I O J K L M keys: switch it on with Fn + Num Lock (or NumLk), then use Alt codes.
- Open the On-Screen Keyboard (search for "osk"), click Options and tick "Turn on numeric key pad"; then hold Alt and click the digits.
- Copy the symbol from this site or use Alt+X in Word.
Questions people ask
Why does nothing happen when I type an Alt code?
Num Lock is off, or you used the number row above the letters. Alt codes need the digits of the numeric keypad.
What is the difference between Alt+0176 and Alt+248?
Both give °. Codes with a leading 0 use the Windows code page 1252; codes without it use the DOS code page 437. Some symbols exist only in one of them.
How do I open the Windows symbols panel?
Press Win+. and open the Ω tab. It is built into Windows 10 and 11.
Can I type any Unicode symbol on Windows?
In Word and Outlook yes: type its hex code and press Alt+X. Elsewhere use the symbols panel, Character Map or copy it from this site.