How to Type Special Characters on Windows & Mac
A complete guide to typing symbols, accented letters, and special characters on any device.
Whether you need a copyright symbol for a document, an accented letter for a foreign name, or a degree sign for a temperature reading, typing special characters can feel unnecessarily difficult. This guide covers every method available on Windows, Mac, and mobile devices, from the simplest to the most powerful.
Method 1: Copy and Paste (Easiest)
The fastest and most universal method is simply copying the character you need and pasting it wherever you want. No keyboard shortcuts to memorize, no special settings required.
How it works:
- Visit a symbol reference page (like the ones on GYPU)
- Find the character you need and click to copy it
- Paste it into your document with Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac)
Browse our symbol pages for quick access to thousands of characters:
Method 2: Windows Alt Codes
On Windows, you can type any character by holding Alt and entering a numeric code on the number pad (not the top row of keys). Make sure Num Lock is turned on first.
Important: Alt codes only work with the numeric keypad on the right side of a full-size keyboard. Laptop users without a number pad should use the Character Map (Method 4) or copy-paste instead.
| Symbol | Name | Alt Code |
|---|---|---|
| © | Copyright | Alt + 0169 |
| ® | Registered | Alt + 0174 |
| ™ | Trademark | Alt + 0153 |
| ° | Degree | Alt + 0176 |
| € | Euro | Alt + 0128 |
| £ | Pound | Alt + 0163 |
| ¥ | Yen | Alt + 0165 |
| ñ | N with tilde | Alt + 0241 |
| ü | U with umlaut | Alt + 0252 |
| é | E with acute | Alt + 0233 |
| — | Em dash | Alt + 0151 |
| – | En dash | Alt + 0150 |
| ½ | One half | Alt + 0189 |
| ± | Plus-minus | Alt + 0177 |
| ÷ | Division | Alt + 0247 |
| × | Multiplication | Alt + 0215 |
| ♥ | Heart | Alt + 3 |
| ♦ | Diamond | Alt + 4 |
| ♣ | Club | Alt + 5 |
| ♠ | Spade | Alt + 6 |
For a complete list of Alt codes, visit our Alt Codes reference page.
Method 3: Mac Option Key Shortcuts
On Mac, the Option (Alt) key unlocks a second layer of characters. Some accented characters require a two-step process: press Option + a modifier key, release, then type the letter.
| Symbol | Name | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| © | Copyright | Option + G |
| ® | Registered | Option + R |
| ™ | Trademark | Option + 2 |
| ° | Degree | Option + Shift + 8 |
| € | Euro | Option + Shift + 2 |
| £ | Pound | Option + 3 |
| ¥ | Yen | Option + Y |
| é | E with acute | Option + E, then E |
| ñ | N with tilde | Option + N, then N |
| ü | U with umlaut | Option + U, then U |
| — | Em dash | Option + Shift + - |
| – | En dash | Option + - |
| … | Ellipsis | Option + ; |
| ≠ | Not equal | Option + = |
| ∞ | Infinity | Option + 5 |
Method 4: Windows Character Map
Windows includes a built-in Character Map application that lets you browse and copy any Unicode character visually.
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog
- Type
charmapand press Enter - The Character Map window will open showing a grid of all available characters
- Browse or search for the character you need by checking the Advanced view box and using the search field
- Double-click a character to add it to the "Characters to copy" field
- Click Copy to copy the selected characters to your clipboard
- Paste into your document with Ctrl + V
Method 5: Mac Character Viewer
macOS has a powerful built-in Character Viewer that provides access to every Unicode character, organized by category.
- Place your cursor where you want to insert the character
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer
- The emoji picker appears first. Click the icon in the top-right corner to expand it to the full Character Viewer
- Browse categories on the left sidebar (Latin, Punctuation, Math Symbols, etc.) or use the search bar
- Double-click any character to insert it at your cursor position
- Use the "Favorites" section to save characters you use frequently
Method 6: Mobile Keyboard Long-Press
Both iOS and Android keyboards have a built-in feature for typing accented and special characters. Simply long-press (press and hold) a letter key to reveal a popup menu of related characters.
How it works:
- Long-press e to see: e, e, e, e, e, e, e
- Long-press a to see: a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a
- Long-press n to see: n, n
- Long-press o to see: o, o, o, o, o, o, o
- Long-press $ to see currency symbols
- Long-press - to see dashes and hyphens
Tips:
- Slide your finger to the character you want without lifting
- On iOS, try long-pressing the 0 key for the degree symbol
- On Android, check your keyboard settings to add language-specific layouts
- For symbols not available via long-press, use the copy-paste method from a website like GYPU
For characters beyond what the long-press menu offers (such as math symbols, arrows, or decorative characters), the copy-paste method remains the fastest approach on mobile devices.
Quick Reference Table
The most commonly needed special characters with every method at a glance. Click any symbol to copy it.
| Symbol | Name | Windows | Mac | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| © | Copyright | Alt+0169 | Option+G | © |
| ® | Registered | Alt+0174 | Option+R | ® |
| ™ | Trademark | Alt+0153 | Option+2 | ™ |
| ° | Degree | Alt+0176 | Opt+Shift+8 | ° |
| € | Euro | Alt+0128 | Opt+Shift+2 | € |
| £ | Pound | Alt+0163 | Option+3 | £ |
| ¥ | Yen | Alt+0165 | Option+Y | ¥ |
| ñ | N tilde | Alt+0241 | Opt+N, N | ñ |
| ü | U umlaut | Alt+0252 | Opt+U, U | ü |
| é | E acute | Alt+0233 | Opt+E, E | é |
| — | Em dash | Alt+0151 | Opt+Shift+- | — |
| … | Ellipsis | Alt+0133 | Option+; | … |
| ½ | One half | Alt+0189 | n/a | ½ |
| ± | Plus-minus | Alt+0177 | Opt+Shift+= | ± |
| ≠ | Not equal | n/a | Option+= | ≠ |
| ∞ | Infinity | n/a | Option+5 | ∞ |
| ♥ | Heart | Alt+3 | n/a | ♥ |
Which Method Should You Use?
- Occasional use: Copy and paste from GYPU is fastest for one-off needs
- Frequent typing: Learn the Alt codes (Windows) or Option shortcuts (Mac) for characters you use often
- Browsing characters: Use Character Map (Windows) or Character Viewer (Mac) to explore what is available
- Mobile: Long-press for accented letters; copy-paste for everything else
- Web development: Use HTML entities for special characters in code