Symbol Keyboard Shortcuts: Quick Ways to Type Special Characters
Stop copying and pasting symbols. Learn keyboard shortcuts to type special characters instantly
Let's be real: most people just Google "heart symbol" and copy-paste. Nothing wrong with that, but it's slow. What if you could just type these symbols instantly using keyboard shortcuts?
I've compiled all the best keyboard shortcuts for typing symbols. Once you memorize these, you'll type special characters 10x faster. And honestly, it just makes you look more tech-savvy.
Windows Alt Codes
Windows has a clever system called Alt codes. Hold Alt and type numbers on your numpad:
Common Symbols
- Alt + 3 = ♥ (heart)
- Alt + 1 = ☺ (smile)
- Alt + 2 = ☻ (filled smile)
- Alt + 15 = ☕ (coffee)
- Alt + 17 = ♫ (music note)
- Alt + 21 = § (section)
- Alt + 24 = ↑ (up arrow)
- Alt + 25 = ↓ (down arrow)
- Alt + 26 = → (right arrow)
- Alt + 27 = ← (left arrow)
- Alt + 30 = ▲ (up triangle)
- Alt + 31 = ▼ (down triangle)
Currency Symbols
- Alt + 155 = ¢ (cent)
- Alt + 156 = £ (pound)
- Alt + 157 = ¥ (yen)
- Alt + 158 = ₽ (ruble)
- Alt + 0128 = € (euro)
Math Symbols
- Alt + 241 = ± (plus-minus)
- Alt + 246 = ÷ (divide)
- Alt + 247 = ≈ (approximately)
- Alt + 248 = ° (degree)
- Alt + 251 = √ (square root)
- Alt + 252 = ⁿ (superscript n)
- Alt + 253 = ² (superscript 2)
Special Characters
- Alt + 169 = © (copyright)
- Alt + 174 = ® (registered)
- Alt + 215 = × (multiply)
- Alt + 224 = α (alpha)
- Alt + 225 = β (beta)
- Alt + 226 = Γ (gamma)
- Alt + 230 = μ (mu)
- Alt + 231 = τ (tau)
- Alt + 232 = Φ (phi)
- Alt + 233 = θ (theta)
Mac Option Codes
Mac users: hold Option (⌥) and another key:
Common Symbols
- ⌥ + 3 = # (hashtag)
- ⌥ + 4 = $ (dollar)
- ⌥ + 5 = ∞ (infinity)
- ⌥ + 6 = § (section)
- ⌥ + 7 = ¶ (paragraph)
- ⌥ + 8 = • (bullet)
- ⌥ + 9 = ° (degree)
- ⌥ + 0 = ◊ (diamond)
- ⌥ + = = ± (plus-minus)
- ⌥ + [ = « (angle quotes)
- ⌥ + ] = » (angle quotes)
- ⌥ + ' = æ (ae ligature)
- ⌥ + ; = … (ellipsis)
- ⌥ + , = ≤ (less than or equal)
- ⌥ + . = ≥ (greater than or equal)
- ⌥ + / = ¿ (inverted question)
Currency
- ⌥ + 4 = $
- ⌥ + 2 = €
- ⌥ + 3 = £
- ⌥ + Y = ¥
- ⌥ + 4 = ¢
Accents (hold and press letter)
- ⌥ + E then A = á
- ⌥ + E then E = é
- ⌥ + N then N = ñ
- ⌥ + U then U = ü
- ⌥ + C = ç
Quick Accent Marks
Hold the letter and a menu appears:
On Mac
Hold any vowel (a, e, i, o, u) and a menu appears with accent options. Works for most letters!
On Windows (Word)
Type the letter, then press Ctrl + ' + the same letter. Like Ctrl + ' + a = á
Mobile Shortcuts
Phones don't have traditional shortcuts, but there are tricks:
iPhone
Long-press keys for alternate characters:
- Hold E for é, è, ê, ë
- Hold O for ó, ò, ô, ö
- Hold N for ñ
- Hold - for — (em dash)
- Hold . for … (ellipsis)
Android
Same long-press trick works on most Android keyboards. Also check your keyboard's symbol menu (usually ?123 button).
Emoji Keyboard
The fastest way to type emojis:
Windows
Press Windows key + . (period) to open the emoji picker
Mac
Press Control + Command + Space to open the character viewer
iPhone
Tap the globe icon on your keyboard to switch to emoji keyboard
Android
Tap the smiley face icon on your keyboard
The Bottom Line
Keyboard shortcuts for symbols might seem like a small thing, but they make a big difference. Imagine being able to type ♥ or ± or → instantly without searching and copying.
Pick 5-10 shortcuts you'll actually use and memorize them. The rest you can always look up. Once you start using these, you'll wonder how you ever typed without them.