Short answer: On Windows, hold Alt and type the number on the numeric keypad (Num Lock on). On a Mac, there are no Alt codes — use the Option shortcut in the Mac column instead. Print this page or save the PDF to keep the whole chart handy.
Want to search and click-to-copy instead of scrolling a chart? The Alt Code Finder gives the Windows, Mac, Word and HTML method for any symbol by name.
This is a quick reference for the symbols people actually use. Windows codes use the leading-zero (Windows-1252) form where it exists — always keep the zero (Alt + 0169, not Alt + 169); the difference is explained in Alt codes vs Unicode vs HTML. Where a Mac has no direct Option shortcut, the chart says Viewer — open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search the name.
Popular symbols
| Symbol | Name | Windows | Mac | Unicode | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| © | Copyright | Alt + 0169 | Option + G | U+00A9 | © |
| ® | Registered | Alt + 0174 | Option + R | U+00AE | ® |
| ™ | Trademark | Alt + 0153 | Option + 2 | U+2122 | ™ |
| ° | Degree | Alt + 0176 | Option + Shift + 8 | U+00B0 | ° |
| • | Bullet | Alt + 0149 | Option + 8 | U+2022 | • |
| — | Em dash | Alt + 0151 | Option + Shift + – | U+2014 | — |
| – | En dash | Alt + 0150 | Option + – | U+2013 | – |
| … | Ellipsis | Alt + 0133 | Option + ; | U+2026 | … |
| § | Section | Alt + 0167 | Option + 6 | U+00A7 | § |
| ¶ | Pilcrow | Alt + 0182 | Option + 7 | U+00B6 | ¶ |
| † | Dagger | Alt + 0134 | Option + T | U+2020 | † |
Currency
| Symbol | Name | Windows | Mac | Unicode | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| € | Euro | Alt + 0128 | Option + Shift + 2 | U+20AC | € |
| £ | Pound | Alt + 0163 | Option + 3 | U+00A3 | £ |
| ¥ | Yen | Alt + 0165 | Option + Y | U+00A5 | ¥ |
| ¢ | Cent | Alt + 0162 | Option + 4 | U+00A2 | ¢ |
| ₹ | Rupee | Alt + 8377 | Viewer | U+20B9 | ₹ |
Math
| Symbol | Name | Windows | Mac | Unicode | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ± | Plus-minus | Alt + 0177 | Option + Shift + = | U+00B1 | ± |
| × | Multiply | Alt + 0215 | Viewer | U+00D7 | × |
| ÷ | Divide | Alt + 0247 | Option + / | U+00F7 | ÷ |
| ≠ | Not equal | Alt + 8800 | Option + = | U+2260 | ≠ |
| ≤ | Less/equal | Alt + 8804 | Option + , | U+2264 | ≤ |
| ≥ | Greater/equal | Alt + 8805 | Option + . | U+2265 | ≥ |
| ≈ | Approx. | Alt + 8776 | Option + X | U+2248 | ≈ |
| √ | Square root | Alt + 8730 | Option + V | U+221A | √ |
| ∞ | Infinity | Alt + 8734 | Option + 5 | U+221E | ∞ |
| π | Pi | Alt + 960 | Option + P | U+03C0 | π |
| ² | Squared | Alt + 0178 | Viewer | U+00B2 | ² |
| ³ | Cubed | Alt + 0179 | Viewer | U+00B3 | ³ |
| ½ | One half | Alt + 0189 | Viewer | U+00BD | ½ |
Punctuation & quotes
| Symbol | Name | Windows | Mac | Unicode | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “ | Left double quote | Alt + 0147 | Option + [ | U+201C | “ |
| “ | Right double quote | Alt + 0148 | Option + Shift + [ | U+201D | ” |
| ‘ | Left single quote | Alt + 0145 | Option + ] | U+2018 | ‘ |
| ‘ | Right single quote | Alt + 0146 | Option + Shift + ] | U+2019 | ’ |
| ¡ | Inverted ! | Alt + 0161 | Option + 1 | U+00A1 | ¡ |
| ¿ | Inverted ? | Alt + 0191 | Option + Shift + / | U+00BF | ¿ |
Accented letters
| Symbol | Name | Windows | Mac | Unicode | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| é | e acute | Alt + 0233 | Option + E, then E | U+00E9 | é |
| ñ | n tilde | Alt + 0241 | Option + N, then N | U+00F1 | ñ |
| ü | u umlaut | Alt + 0252 | Option + U, then U | U+00FC | ü |
| ç | c cedilla | Alt + 0231 | Option + C | U+00E7 | ç |
| ß | eszett | Alt + 0223 | Option + S | U+00DF | ß |
| ø | o slash | Alt + 0248 | Option + O | U+00F8 | ø |
Arrows
| Symbol | Name | Windows | Mac | Unicode | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| → | Right | Alt + 8594 | Viewer | U+2192 | → |
| ← | Left | Alt + 8592 | Viewer | U+2190 | ← |
| ↑ | Up | Alt + 8593 | Viewer | U+2191 | ↑ |
| ↓ | Down | Alt + 8595 | Viewer | U+2193 | ↓ |
Stars & symbols
| Symbol | Name | Windows | Mac | Unicode | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ | Black star | Alt + 9733 | Viewer | U+2605 | ★ |
| ☆ | White star | Alt + 9734 | Viewer | U+2606 | ☆ |
| ♥ | Heart | Alt + 9829 | Viewer | U+2665 | ♥ |
| ✓ | Check mark | Alt + 10003 | Viewer | U+2713 | ✓ |
| ✗ | Cross | Alt + 10007 | Viewer | U+2717 | ✗ |
| ☺ | Smiley | Alt + 9786 | Viewer | U+263A | ☺ |
How to use this chart
- Windows: hold Alt, type the number on the numeric keypad (not the top-row numbers), release. Num Lock must be on. Keep the leading zero where the chart shows one. Codes of 256+ (arrows, ★, ✓) need a Unicode-aware app like Word or your browser; in a basic editor, use the Alt Code Finder or Character Map instead.
- Mac: press the Option combination shown. Where it says Viewer, open the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) and search the name — or turn on Unicode Hex Input and hold Option while typing the four-digit hex.
- No numpad? Laptops and compact keyboards drop it, which is the usual reason Alt codes don’t work — see also the best keyboards for symbols.
- Print or save: use your browser’s Print (Ctrl/Cmd + P) to print this page or save it as a PDF for offline reference. You can also download the PDF from here.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Alt code?
An Alt code is a Windows shortcut for typing a symbol: hold the Alt key and type a number on the numeric keypad, then release. The number corresponds to the character — for example Alt + 0169 gives ©. It needs a numeric keypad with Num Lock on.
Do these Alt codes work on a Mac?
No — Alt codes are a Windows feature. On a Mac you use the Option-key shortcut shown in the Mac column (for example Option + G for ©). Where the chart says “Viewer,” open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search the symbol’s name.
Why doesn’t my Alt code work?
The most common causes are Num Lock being off, using the top-row numbers instead of the numeric keypad, or your keyboard not having a numpad at all. Codes above 255 also need a Unicode-aware app such as Word or a browser.
Why do some codes have a leading zero?
The leading zero (Alt + 0169) tells Windows to use the modern Windows-1252 character set; without it, Windows uses the older Code Page 437 and you may get a different character. Always keep the zero shown in the chart. More detail: Alt codes vs Unicode vs HTML.
How do I print or save this chart?
Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print the page, or choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog to keep it offline. A downloadable PDF and pin version are also available.
What’s the fastest way to find a symbol’s code?
Use the Alt Code Finder to search any symbol by name and get its Windows, Mac, Word and HTML method, or paste a character into the Symbol Identifier to see exactly what it is.
Written by Igor R.. Tested on Windows 11 and macOS. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard. Last updated July 2026.