How to Type Degree Symbol on Mac

Complete macOS guide with Option key shortcuts, Character Viewer, and emoji picker methods for Sonoma and later

macOS Sonoma
Option Key
Character Viewer
MacBook Pro

What You'll Learn

Option + Shift + 8 Character Viewer Emoji Picker Text Replacement

Quick Reference Guide

Most Common Mac Degree Symbol Methods

Method Shortcut Best For Speed
Keyboard Shortcut
Option + Shift + 8 Fastest access ⚡ Instant
Alternative Shortcut
Option + K Easier reach ⚡ Instant
Character Viewer
⌃⌘Space All symbol variations 🔄 Medium
Text Replacement
Auto-expand Frequent use 🚀 Fast

Complete Mac Degree Symbol Reference

Symbol Method Shortcut Use Case Notes
° Keyboard Option + Shift + 8 Angles, general Primary method
° Alternative Option + K Quick access Easier on some keyboards
℃ Two-step ° + C Celsius Type ° then C
℉ Two-step ° + F Fahrenheit Type ° then F
All symbols Character Viewer ⌃⌘Space All variations Search "degree"

Essential Mac Methods

Primary Keyboard Shortcut

Fastest method for all Mac users

Option + Shift + 8
⚡ Instant Universal All Keyboards

Works on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and all Mac keyboards

Temperature Shortcuts

Celsius: Type ° then C → ℃

Fahrenheit: Type ° then F → ℉

Character Viewer

Visual symbol selection tool

Control + Command + Space
🔍 Search All Symbols Favorites

Access all degree symbol variations and special characters

1

Press ⌃⌘ + Space

2

Search "degree" in the search bar

3

Double-click any symbol to insert

Alternative: Option + K

Easier to reach on some keyboard layouts

Option + K

Menu Bar Method

Use the input menu in the menu bar

Edit > Emoji & Symbols

Text Replacement

Auto-expand shortcuts in System Settings

System Settings > Keyboard > Text

Detailed Methods

Method 1: Keyboard Shortcuts

Basic Degree Symbol (°)

Option + Shift + 8

This works on all Mac keyboards, including laptop keyboards.

Alternative: Option + K

Option + K

This also produces the degree symbol and is easier to reach on some keyboards.

Keyboard Layout Note

These shortcuts work regardless of your keyboard layout (US, UK, International, etc.).

Method 2: Character Viewer

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. 1 Press Control + Command + Space to open Character Viewer
  2. 2 Click the search bar and type "degree"
  3. 3 Select your desired degree symbol from the results
  4. 4 Double-click to insert it into your document

Character Viewer Features:

  • • Access to all degree symbol variations
  • • Recently used symbols for quick access
  • • Favorite symbols for frequent use
  • • Works in all macOS applications

Method 3: Emoji & Symbols Menu

Using the Menu Bar

  1. 1 Click the input menu in the menu bar (looks like a flag or character)
  2. 2 Select "Show Emoji & Symbols"
  3. 3 Navigate to the degree symbols section

macOS Application Methods

Pages

Word processing

1 Keyboard shortcuts work directly
2 Edit > Emoji & Symbols
3 Format > Text > Replace Text

Keynote

Presentations

1 Option + Shift + 8 in text boxes
2 Edit > Emoji & Symbols
3 Character Viewer via menu bar

Numbers

Spreadsheets

1 Shortcuts work in cells
2 Function > Insert > Symbol
3 Cell formatting options

Notes

Quick notes

1 All keyboard shortcuts work
2 Edit > Emoji & Symbols
3 Control + Command + Space

TextEdit

Text editor

1 Universal keyboard shortcuts
2 Edit > Special Characters
3 Format > Font > Show Fonts

Safari & Mail

Web & Email

1 Standard Mac shortcuts work
2 Edit > Emoji & Symbols
3 Character Viewer universal

Common Degree Symbol Variations

°

Degree Symbol

Standard degree symbol for angles and general use

℃

Degree Celsius

Temperature measurement in Celsius scale

℉

Degree Fahrenheit

Temperature measurement in Fahrenheit scale

Troubleshooting

Shortcuts Not Working?

  • Check if you're using the correct key combination
  • Make sure no other apps are interfering with keyboard shortcuts
  • Try using Character Viewer as an alternative method

Still Having Issues?

Check your keyboard settings in System Preferences > Keyboard > Input Sources to ensure the correct layout is selected.

Quick Reference

Keyboard Shortcuts

Degree Symbol: Option + Shift + 8
Alternative: Option + K

Other Methods

Character Viewer: Control + Command + Space
Menu Method: Edit > Emoji & Symbols