Hash symbol (pound sign) (#)
U+0023 · NUMBER SIGN · Unicode 1.1 (1993)
How to type #
Windows
Alt code (numeric keypad)
Alt+35
Turn on Num Lock, hold the Alt key, type 35 on the numeric keypad and let go of Alt: # appears.
Uses the old DOS code page 437, which US-English Windows uses for Alt codes without a leading 0; on Windows set to other languages the result can differ.
Word and Outlook: Alt + X
0023 Alt+X
Type 0023 and press Alt+X right after it: Word turns the code into #. Press Alt+X again to turn it back into the code.
Emoji and symbols panel (Windows 10 and 11)
Win+.
Press Win + full stop (.) to open the panel, go to the Symbols tab (Ω) and pick #.
No numeric keypad on your laptop? See the other ways in our Alt codes guide.
Mac
Character Viewer
Ctrl+⌘ Cmd+Space
Press Ctrl+⌘+Space (or the Globe key + E), search for “hash symbol (pound sign)” and click # to insert it.
iPhone
Make a shortcut (Text Replacement)
Turn a short word into # once and type it in any app:
- Copy # from this page.
- Open Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement and tap +.
- Paste # as the Phrase and type a Shortcut, for example ;hash.
- Now type ;hash anywhere: the keyboard suggests #.
Android
Make a shortcut (Gboard personal dictionary)
Teach your keyboard a short word that turns into #:
- Copy # from this page.
- Open Gboard settings › Dictionary › Personal dictionary, choose your language and tap +.
- Paste # as the word and type a shortcut, for example ;hash.
- Type ;hash in any app and tap # in the suggestions.
Linux
Unicode input
Ctrl+Shift+U 0023 Enter
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 0023 and press Enter or Space. Works in GTK apps and with IBus (GNOME, Ubuntu, Fedora).
What # means and how it is used
The hash or number sign # opens hashtags, a convention proposed on Twitter in 2007, marks numbers (#1) and, in the US, is called the pound sign on phone keypads. It is not the music sharp ♯ (U+266F), whose lines slant differently; hashtags only work with #. Spanish speakers call it almohadilla or gato, Italians cancelletto.
In Unicode, # is code point U+0023 with the official name NUMBER SIGN. It belongs to the Basic Latin block and arrived with Unicode 1.1 in 1993.
Other words for it: hash, hashtag, lb, number, pound, sign.
You will find it in our punctuation and typography symbols, 109 symbols in all, together with © ® ™ § ¶.
Codes for HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Tap Copy next to the code you need.
| HTML entity | # | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML decimal | # | |
| HTML hex | # | |
| CSS | content: "\0023"; | |
| JavaScript | \u0023 | |
| URL | %23 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | 23 | |
| Unicode | U+0023 |
Will it show on my friend's phone?
Very likely yes: # dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.
Checking your device…
Don't confuse # with
These look alike but are different characters. Search, sorting and screen readers treat them differently, so copy the one you mean.
- #Hash symbol (pound sign)U+0023 · NUMBER SIGN
- Fullwidth number signU+FF03 · FULLWIDTH NUMBER SIGN · Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms
- ﹟U+FE5F · Small Form Variants
Names in other languages
What # is called in the 12 languages of this site (Unicode CLDR and our editors). Tap a name to open that language's page.
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Hash symbol (pound sign) |
| Português | Símbolo de cerquilha (hashtag) |
| Español | Símbolo de numeral (almohadilla) |
| Italiano | Simbolo cancelletto |
| Français | Symbole hashtag (croisillon) |
| Deutsch | Rautezeichen (Hashtag) |
| Türkçe | Hashtag işareti |
| Bahasa Indonesia | Simbol pagar (hashtag) |
| Polski | Znak hasztagu (kratka) |
| Русский | Знак решётка |
| 日本語 | 番号記号 (井桁) |
| 한국어 | 해시 기호 (우물 정) |
Related symbols
All Punctuation →Questions people ask
How do I type # on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
On Windows press Win + full stop (.) and pick # in the Symbols tab, or in Word type 0023 and press Alt+X.
What is the difference between # and ＃?
# is the hash symbol (pound sign) (U+0023). ＃ is a different character: fullwidth number sign (U+FF03, Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms block). They can look alike, but computers treat them as different letters, so a search for one will not find the other.
How do I type # on an iPhone?
The iPhone keyboard has no key for #. Copy it here, then add it in Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement with a shortcut like ;hash.
What is the HTML code for the hash symbol (pound sign)?
Use the entity # or the numeric code # (hex #). In CSS write \0023, in JavaScript \u0023.
Will # show on every phone?
Very likely yes: # dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.