The fastest way: hold Option and press Shift+8

On a Mac, the degree symbol (°) appears when you hold the Option key and press Shift+8 at the same time. Release all three keys and the symbol appears. This works in almost every program — email, documents, web forms, text editors.

The Option key is also called Alt on some older Mac keyboards. It sits to the left of the spacebar. If you are on a MacBook, Magic Keyboard, or any modern Apple keyboard, it is the key with the ⌥ symbol printed on it.

This shortcut works whether you are typing in Celsius, Fahrenheit, angles, or any other measurement that needs the degree symbol. It is faster than any menu or special character picker.

Key Takeaways

  • Hold Option and press Shift+8 to type the degree symbol on any Mac keyboard.
  • The Option key is the one marked with ⌥, located to the left of the spacebar.
  • This shortcut works in email, documents, web browsers, and most other programs without any setup.
  • If the shortcut does not work, check that you are holding all three keys at once and that your keyboard layout is set to U.S. English or a similar layout.

Why this shortcut works on a Mac

The Option key on a Mac is a modifier key that lets you type characters that do not have their own dedicated key on the keyboard. When you hold Option, the keyboard sends a different code to the computer, and the computer knows to display the degree symbol instead of the number 8.

Apple built this shortcut into the operating system, so it works the same way whether you are typing in Apple Mail, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or a text field on a website. The program does not have to do anything special — the Mac handles it at the system level.

This is different from Windows, where the degree symbol requires a different key combination. If you switch between a Mac and a Windows computer, you will need to remember two different shortcuts.

What to do if the shortcut does not work

If you hold Option+Shift+8 and nothing happens, the most common reason is that your keyboard layout is not set to U.S. English. Mac keyboards in other countries use different layouts, and the degree symbol may be on a different key combination.

To check your keyboard layout, click the Apple menu in the top left corner, then go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs). Look for Keyboard, then Input Sources. You should see a list of keyboard layouts. If you see anything other than "U.S." or "ABC", that is why the shortcut is not working.

If you need to use a non-U.S. keyboard layout, you can still type the degree symbol using the Character Viewer instead. Press Control+Command+Spacebar to open it, then search for "degree" and double-click the symbol to insert it. This method works on any keyboard layout.

Using the Character Viewer as an alternative

If you prefer not to memorize the keyboard shortcut, or if you use a keyboard layout where Option+Shift+8 does not work, the Character Viewer is a built-in tool that shows you every symbol your Mac can type.

Press Control+Command+Spacebar to open the Character Viewer. A window appears with a search box at the top. Type "degree" and the degree symbol appears in the results. Double-click it to insert it into whatever program you are using.

The Character Viewer is slower than the keyboard shortcut, but it is useful if you need symbols you do not use often. You can also browse by category — the degree symbol is under "Letterlike Symbols" if you want to explore.

Typing temperature with the degree symbol

When you type a temperature, the degree symbol goes between the number and the letter. For example: 72°F or 22°C. Type the number first, then use Option+Shift+8 to add the degree symbol, then type the letter for Fahrenheit or Celsius.

Some people add a space between the symbol and the letter (72° F), and some do not (72°F). Both are correct — it is a matter of style. Pick whichever looks better to you and stay consistent.

If you are typing angles in geometry or mathematics, the degree symbol works the same way: 90° for a right angle, 180° for a straight line. The shortcut does not change based on what you are measuring.

Copying and pasting the symbol

If you are in a situation where the keyboard shortcut does not work — for example, in a program that does not accept keyboard input the way you expect — you can copy the degree symbol from somewhere else and paste it.

The simplest way is to type it once using Option+Shift+8, then select it with your mouse or trackpad, and press Command+C to copy it. Then whenever you need the symbol again in that program, press Command+V to paste it. This works even if the keyboard shortcut fails.

You can also find the symbol online, copy it from a website, and paste it into your document. This is slower than using the keyboard shortcut, but it is a useful backup if nothing else works.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the degree symbol shortcut work on iPad and iPhone?

No. On iPad and iPhone, you hold down the 0 (zero) key on the on-screen keyboard and a menu appears with the degree symbol as one of the options. Tap it to insert it. The Mac shortcut does not work on Apple's mobile devices.

Will this shortcut work in all programs?

Yes, in almost all programs. The shortcut works in email, web browsers, word processors, spreadsheets, and text editors. The only exceptions are very old programs or specialized software that handles keyboard input in an unusual way — but this is rare.

Can I create a custom keyboard shortcut for the degree symbol?

Yes. Go to System Settings, then Keyboard, then Text Replacements. Click the plus button and type a short code in the "Replace" field (like "deg"), then paste the degree symbol in the "With" field. Now whenever you type "deg" followed by a space, your Mac replaces it with °.

What if I have a non-Apple keyboard connected to my Mac?

The Option+Shift+8 shortcut still works. The Mac recognizes the Option key on any keyboard, whether it is made by Apple or another company. The key might be labeled Alt instead of Option, but it is the same key.

Is there a way to type the degree symbol on a keyboard without the Option key?

Not with a standard keyboard shortcut. You would need to use the Character Viewer or copy and paste. Some third-party keyboard customization tools let you remap keys, but that requires extra setup and is not necessary — the Option+Shift+8 shortcut is built in and always available.