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Alt Codes & Symbols

Over 1,500 special characters, grouped and searchable. Hover any symbol to see the Alt code for your keyboard — Windows or Mac, detected automatically — and click it to copy the symbol itself.

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How to use it

1

Find the symbol

Search by name (“rupee”, “degree”, “tick”), by Alt code (0169), or jump straight to a category.

2

Hover for the shortcut

The chip shows the Windows Alt code or the Mac Option combo, whichever matches your device. Switch keyboards any time with the toggle.

3

Click to copy

One click puts the symbol on your clipboard, ready to paste into Word, Excel, WhatsApp, an email or your code.

The Alt codes worth memorising

A handful earn their keep every week. On Windows, hold Alt and type these on the numeric keypad: Alt + 0169 for ©, Alt + 0174 for ®, Alt + 0153 for ™, Alt + 248 for °, Alt + 241 for ±, Alt + 0189 for ½ and Alt + 251 for √. The rupee sign ₹ has no classic Alt code: type 20B9 then Alt + X in Word, or press AltGr + 4 on an Indian keyboard layout — or just click it above.

Windows Alt codes vs Mac Option keys

The two systems work differently. Windows Alt codes are numeric and need a real numeric keypad, which most laptops no longer have. macOS instead maps symbols onto letter keys: ⌥ + G gives ©, ⌥ + 2 gives ™, ⌥ + P gives π, ⇧ ⌥ + 8 gives °. Beyond that set, macOS needs the Unicode Hex Input keyboard, where you hold and type the four-digit hex code. Either way, copying from this page is faster than remembering any of it.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Alt code?

A shortcut for typing a character your keyboard has no key for. Hold the Alt key on Windows, type a number on the numeric keypad, release Alt, and the symbol appears: Alt + 0169 gives ©, Alt + 241 gives ±, Alt + 248 gives °.

Why does my Alt code not work?

Three usual causes: you used the number row instead of the numeric keypad (Alt codes only read the keypad), Num Lock is off, or your laptop has no keypad at all. On a laptop, copy the symbol from this page instead — that is exactly what the click-to-copy is for.

What about symbols with no classic Alt code?

Most of Unicode was never assigned one. For those we show the hex form instead: type 2192 then press Alt + X in Word, WordPad or Outlook and it becomes →. Everywhere else, clicking the symbol here is faster.

How do I type these symbols on a Mac?

Switch the toggle to Mac. Common symbols have real Option combos — Option + G is ©, Option + 2 is ™, Option + P is π. The rest show as ⌥ + a hex code, which needs the Unicode Hex Input keyboard added under System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources.

Can I use these symbols in Excel, Word and WhatsApp?

Yes. They are ordinary Unicode text, so they paste into spreadsheets, documents, chat, email subject lines, file names and web pages. Only a handful of decorative ones fall back to a box on very old systems.

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