The fastest way: Option + Shift + 8

Hold down Option and Shift together, then press 8. A degree symbol (°) will appear. This works in any program — email, documents, web forms, text editors, everything. It is the quickest method once your fingers learn the combination.

The symbol appears exactly where your cursor is blinking. If nothing happens, make sure you are holding both keys at the same time before you press 8. Many people press them in sequence instead of together, which does not work.

Key Takeaways

  • Option + Shift + 8 produces a degree symbol instantly in any Mac program without opening menus or special panels.
  • If that combination does not work, your keyboard layout or language settings may be different, and you can use the Character Viewer instead.
  • The Character Viewer method takes longer but works on any Mac regardless of keyboard type or regional settings.
  • You can also copy a degree symbol from another source and paste it wherever you need it, which is useful if you type it rarely.

Using the Character Viewer when the keyboard shortcut does not work

If Option + Shift + 8 does not produce a degree symbol, your Mac's keyboard layout or language settings may be configured differently. The Character Viewer is a built-in panel that shows every symbol your Mac can type, and it works the same way on every Mac.

Open the Character Viewer by pressing Control + Command + Space. A floating panel will appear showing a grid of symbols. In the search box at the top, type "degree" and the degree symbol will appear in the results. Click it once to insert it at your cursor.

The Character Viewer stays open while you work, so you can insert the symbol multiple times without reopening it. Close it by clicking the red button in the top-left corner of the panel or by pressing Escape.

Checking your keyboard layout if the shortcut does not work

The Option + Shift + 8 shortcut assumes your Mac is set to a US English keyboard layout. If you use a different language or regional layout, the same key combination may produce a different symbol or nothing at all.

Check your keyboard layout by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner, then System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs). Go to Keyboard, then look for a section called Input Sources or Language & Region. You will see which layout is currently active. If it is not US English and you want to use the Option + Shift + 8 shortcut, you can add US English as a second layout and switch to it when you need the degree symbol.

Copying and pasting a degree symbol

If you type the degree symbol only occasionally, the fastest method may be to copy one from somewhere else and paste it when you need it. You can copy the symbol from this page: °

Highlight the symbol with your mouse or trackpad, then press Command + C to copy it. Open the document or form where you need it, click where you want the symbol to appear, and press Command + V to paste. This method works even if your keyboard layout is unusual or if you are not sure which keys to press.

Using Find and Replace to add degree symbols in bulk

If you have a document with many instances of the word "degrees" or temperature readings and you want to replace some of them with the degree symbol, you can use Find and Replace instead of typing each one individually.

Open your document in any program that supports Find and Replace — this includes Apple Pages, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and most text editors. Press Command + F to open the Find panel, then look for a button or menu option that says Replace or Find and Replace. In the "Find" field, type the text you want to replace (for example, " degrees"). In the "Replace" field, paste the degree symbol (using Command + V). Click Replace All to change every instance at once, or click Replace one at a time to review each change before it happens.

Typing degree symbols in different Mac programs

The Option + Shift + 8 shortcut and the Character Viewer method work in nearly every Mac program, but a few older or specialized applications may behave differently. Email programs like Mail, web browsers like Safari and Chrome, word processors like Pages and Word, and spreadsheets like Numbers and Excel all accept the degree symbol without any special steps.

If you are typing in a program that does not seem to accept the symbol, try the Character Viewer method instead of the keyboard shortcut. If that also does not work, the program may not support special characters at all, which is rare but does happen with some very old or very specialized software. In that case, copying and pasting from another source is usually your only option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Option + Shift + 8 not work on my Mac?

Your keyboard layout is probably not set to US English. Check System Settings under Keyboard and Input Sources to see which layout is active. If you want to use the shortcut, add US English as a second layout and switch to it when you need the degree symbol. The Character Viewer method works on any layout.

Can I create a keyboard shortcut for the degree symbol?

Yes. Go to System Settings, then Keyboard, then Shortcuts. Click Text on the left side, then the plus button at the bottom. Type a phrase you want to replace (like "deg") in the first box and paste the degree symbol in the second box. Now whenever you type "deg" followed by a space, your Mac will replace it with °.

Does the degree symbol work in Google Docs and Microsoft Word online?

Yes. Both the Option + Shift + 8 shortcut and the Character Viewer method work in web-based versions of these programs. The symbol will save and display correctly when you share the document or download it.

What if I need a different temperature symbol, like Celsius or Fahrenheit?

The degree symbol (°) is the same for both Celsius and Fahrenheit. You type it after the number and before the letter: 72°F or 22°C. There is no separate symbol for each temperature scale.

Can I type a degree symbol on an external keyboard connected to my Mac?

Yes, as long as the external keyboard is set to the same layout as your Mac. If the keyboard is from a different country or language, it may have different key positions, and Option + Shift + 8 might not work. The Character Viewer method will always work regardless of which keyboard you use.