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Special Characters Keyboard Shortcuts — How to Type Any Symbol

·11 min read

I'll be honest — I used to copy and paste every special character I needed. Every time I wanted a heart symbol ♥, I'd Google it, find a page, and copy it. It worked, but it was slow and kind of embarrassing when someone watched me do it.

Then I learned about keyboard shortcuts. And honestly, it changed my life. Now I can type é, ♥, —, and dozens of other symbols without ever leaving my keyboard. Let me show you how.

Why Learn Keyboard Shortcuts?

Before we get into the how, let's talk about why you should care:

Speed. Once you memorize the shortcuts you use most, you'll type them instantly. No more stopping to search and copy.

Professionalism. Being able to type symbols fluently makes you look capable and tech-savvy.

Flexibility. You can type symbols anywhere — in documents, emails, messages, code — without worrying about whether copy-paste will work.

No dependencies. You're not reliant on having a specific website or tool available.

Windows: Alt Codes

Windows uses Alt codes — you hold down the Alt key and type a number on your numeric keypad. This is probably the fastest way to type symbols once you know the codes.

How to use Alt codes:

  1. Make sure NumLock is enabled
  2. Hold down the Alt key
  3. Type the code using the numeric keypad (not the row of numbers above letters)
  4. Release Alt

Essential Alt codes:

Heart and card symbols:

Math symbols:

Currency symbols:

Accented letters:

Note: Some laptops don't have numeric keypads. If yours doesn't, you'll need to use a different method or enable the "NumLock" feature on your keyboard.

Mac: Option Key Shortcuts

Mac users have it slightly different — you use the Option (⌥) key instead of Alt. The good news is that many of these shortcuts are easier to remember than Windows Alt codes.

Essential Mac shortcuts:

Accented letters on Mac:

For accented letters, hold Option and tap the accent key, then release and type the letter:

Mac Character Viewer

For symbols that don't have keyboard shortcuts, Mac has a built-in Character Viewer that's super useful:

How to open it:

  1. Press Control + Command + Space
  2. A character picker appears
  3. Click the symbol you want
  4. It inserts into your text

You can also click "Expand" to see categories like Emoji, Arrows, Math Symbols, and more. This is great for finding symbols you don't use often enough to memorize.

Windows Character Map

Windows has something similar called Character Map:

How to open it:

  1. Press Windows key
  2. Type "Character Map"
  3. Click the app
  4. Click the symbol you want
  5. Click Select, then Copy

You can also check "Advanced view" to search for symbols by name if you know what you're looking for.

Emoji Pickers

Both Windows and Mac have built-in emoji pickers that are worth knowing about:

Windows emoji picker:

Press Windows key + . (period) — a popup emoji picker appears

Mac emoji picker:

Press Control + Command + Space — the Character Viewer appears with emoji

Copy-Paste Still Works

Let's be real — I'm not going to remember every Alt code or keyboard shortcut. Sometimes copy-paste is just easier. Here's my advice:

Keep a "symbol stash" document where you copy symbols you use often. I have a text file with all my favorites — hearts, stars, arrows, dividers. When I need one, I just grab it from there.

Or, bookmark a good symbol website (like this one!) and just use it when you need to. No shame in the copy-paste game.

Practice Makes Perfect

Here's my challenge to you: pick 5 symbols you use often and memorize their shortcuts. Maybe it's — é ♥ ° © ™. Practice typing them for a week. After that, they'll become muscle memory.

Once you get comfortable with 5, add 5 more. Before you know it, you'll be the person who types symbols without breakingstride. Your coworkers will be impressed. Your typing speed will thank you.

Quick Reference

Here's a quick cheat sheet for the most useful shortcuts:

Windows:

Mac:

Wrapping Up

Learning keyboard shortcuts takes a little time upfront, but it pays off quickly. The first few days might feel awkward, but stick with it. Once these shortcuts become automatic, you'll wonder how you ever typed without them.

Need more symbol options? Check out our collection of arrow symbols or explore cool text symbols for your next project.