How to Insert Special Characters & Symbols in Google Sheets
Three reliable methods for adding symbols, Unicode characters, and emojis to your spreadsheets.
Google Sheets does not have a built-in "Insert Symbol" dialog like Google Docs or Microsoft Word. That might seem like a limitation, but there are actually several effective ways to get special characters into your cells — and some of them are more powerful than a simple symbol picker.
This guide covers the CHAR() function approach (the most flexible), the copy-paste method (the simplest), and the Unicode input approach. By the end, you will know how to add check marks, currency symbols, arrows, mathematical notation, and any other Unicode character to your spreadsheets.
Method 1: The CHAR() Function
The CHAR() function is the most powerful way to insert symbols in Google Sheets. It takes a Unicode code point number and returns the corresponding character.
Syntax: =CHAR(number)
Where number is the decimal Unicode code point value.
Common Examples
| Formula | Result | Description |
|---|---|---|
| =CHAR(169) | © | Copyright |
| =CHAR(174) | ® | Registered |
| =CHAR(176) | ° | Degree |
| =CHAR(8364) | € | Euro |
| =CHAR(10003) | ✓ | Check mark |
| =CHAR(10004) | ✔ | Heavy check mark |
| =CHAR(10008) | ✘ | Heavy ballot X |
| =CHAR(9733) | ★ | Black star |
| =CHAR(9829) | ♥ | Heart |
| =CHAR(8594) | → | Right arrow |
| =CHAR(9744) | ☐ | Ballot box |
| =CHAR(8730) | √ | Square root |
Combining CHAR() with Other Functions
One of the great advantages of CHAR() is that you can embed it within formulas. Here are some practical examples:
=IF(A1>90, CHAR(10004), CHAR(10008))
Shows ✔ if A1 is above 90, otherwise shows ✘
="Temperature: " & A1 & CHAR(176) & "C"
Concatenates a degree symbol into a temperature string, e.g. "Temperature: 25°C"
=REPT(CHAR(9733), A1) & REPT(CHAR(9734), 5-A1)
Creates a star rating like ★★★☆☆ based on a numeric value in A1
Method 2: Copy and Paste
The simplest approach — find the symbol you need and paste it directly into a cell. This works for any Unicode character, including emojis.
- Visit a symbol reference page such as our Symbols collection
- Click to copy the character you need
- Click into the target cell in Google Sheets
- Paste with Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac)
This method is ideal for one-off insertions. If you need the same symbol in many cells, paste it once and then copy the cell normally within the spreadsheet. For commonly needed symbols, you might keep a "symbols" sheet as a reference tab.
You can also use your operating system's built-in emoji and symbol pickers:
- Windows: Press Win + . (period) to open the emoji picker
- Mac: Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer
- Chromebook: Right-click and select "Emoji" or press Search + Shift + Space
Method 3: Google Docs Bridge
If you want to browse symbols visually, you can use Google Docs as a bridge:
- Open a Google Docs document
- Go to Insert > Special characters
- Search or draw the character you need
- Insert it into the document
- Copy it from Docs and paste into your Google Sheets cell
For more details on the Google Docs special characters dialog, see our guide on special characters in Google Docs.
Finding Unicode Code Points
To use CHAR() effectively, you need to know the decimal code point for the character you want. Here are several ways to find it:
- Use our Unicode Lookup tool — search by name or paste a character to find its code point
- Use our Text to Unicode Converter — paste any character to see its decimal and hex values
- Google "unicode [symbol name]" — for example, "unicode check mark" will quickly tell you the code point is 10003
- If you have the hex value (e.g. U+2713), convert it to decimal: in Google Sheets, use
=HEX2DEC("2713")which returns 10003
Practical Use Cases
Status Indicators
Use ✔ (10004), ✘ (10008), and ⚠ (9888) with conditional CHAR() formulas to create visual status columns.
Ratings
Combine REPT() with CHAR(9733) for filled stars and CHAR(9734) for empty stars to create visual ratings.
Currency Formatting
Use CHAR() to prepend currency symbols from different countries: € (8364), £ (163), ¥ (165), ₹ (8377).
Scientific Notation
Add degree symbols (176), plus-minus ± (177), micro µ (181), and other scientific characters to data labels.