Alt Codes for Symbols – Complete List for Windows & Mac

Alt codes give you instant access to hundreds of special characters that aren’t on a standard keyboard currency signs, mathematical symbols, Greek letters, accented characters, arrows, and more. Whether you’re typing a copyright notice in Word, adding a degree symbol in Excel, or writing a Spanish name with ñ, there’s an alt code for it.

This page covers 256+ alt codes across 9 categories, a step-by-step guide for Windows and laptops, Mac alternatives, and a troubleshooting section for when alt codes aren’t working. Use the table of contents to jump to any section.

Complete alt codes symbol chart

Punctuation alt codes ( ” « » ¿ ~ ‼ )

Currency & legal symbol alt codes ( £ € ¥ © ® ™ )

Math symbol alt codes ( ° √ ½ ¼ ¾ µ ∞ π ± )

Greek letter alt codes – full alphabet ( α β γ δ … ω )

Accented letter alt codes ( ñ â ü é à ç )

Arrow alt codes ( → ← ↑ ↓ ↔ ⇒ )

Heart, star & checkmark alt codes ( ♥ ♦ ★ ☑ ✓ )

Misc & Smileys alt codes

How to use alt codes on Windows

Alt codes work on any Windows PC, Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11. The process is the same across all versions. Follow these four steps:

1. Turn on Num Lock. Press the Num Lock key on your keyboard. A light on your keyboard (or on-screen indicator) confirms it’s active. Without Num Lock on, alt codes will not work.
2. Hold the Alt key. Press and hold the Alt key on the left side of your spacebar. Keep holding it through the next step.
3. Type the code on the numeric keypad. Using the number keys on the right-side numpad (not the top-row numbers), type the alt code number. For example, type 0169 for ©.
4. Release the Alt key. The special character appears at your cursor’s position.

Important: Always use the numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard not the number row across the top. Top-row numbers do not work for alt codes.

OEM vs ANSI codes: Alt codes without a leading zero (e.g. Alt+169) use the original IBM OEM set. Alt codes with a leading zero (e.g. Alt+0169) use the extended Windows ANSI set. Both produce the © symbol in this case, but for codes above 127 the results differ always use the leading zero version for consistent results in modern Windows.

Where do alt codes work? Alt codes work in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Notepad, and most desktop applications. They do not work reliably in web browser address bars or some modern web apps that use Unicode input instead.

How to use alt codes on a laptop (no numpad)

Most laptops don’t have a dedicated numeric keypad, which is the #1 reason alt codes don’t seem to work on laptops. There are two solutions:

Solution 1 – Enable the virtual numpad (recommended)

Many laptop keyboards have a hidden numpad built into the letter keys. To activate it:

1. Press Fn + Num Lock (sometimes labelled NumLk) simultaneously. An indicator light confirms it’s active.
2. The right side of your keyboard now doubles as a numpad. Use the key mapping below.
3. Hold Alt, type your code using the virtual numpad keys, release Alt.
4. Press Fn + Num Lock again to switch back to normal typing.

Note: The exact key mapping varies by laptop brand. Check your keyboard for small secondary labels on the letter keys they usually show the numpad numbers in a different colour.

Solution 2 – Use Windows Character Map

If the virtual numpad method doesn’t work on your laptop, use the built-in Windows Character Map utility instead:

1. Press Win + R, type charmap, and press Enter.
2. Find the symbol you need, click it, then click Select and Copy.
3. Paste it into your document with Ctrl + V.

Windows 10 & 11 shortcut: Press Win + . (Windows key + period) to open the emoji and special character panel directly in any text field.

How to type special characters on Mac (Option key)

Windows alt codes do not work on Mac, macOS uses a completely different system. On a Mac, special characters are typed using the Option key (⌥) instead of Alt.

Here are the most commonly needed symbols and their Mac equivalents:

See all Mac special characters: Go to any text field → click Edit in the menu bar → Emoji & Symbols (or press Ctrl + Cmd + Space). The Character Viewer shows every available symbol with search.

Why are my alt codes not working? (troubleshooting)

Alt codes fail for a specific reason almost every time and most are a quick fix. Here are the five most common causes:

Num Lock is turned off

Cause: Alt codes require the numeric keypad to be in number mode. When Num Lock is off, the numpad keys act as arrow keys and navigation keys instead.

Fix: Press the Num Lock key once an indicator light on your keyboard (or on-screen in Windows 11) will confirm it’s active. Then try your alt code again.

Using the top-row number keys instead of the numpad

Cause: The number keys along the top of your keyboard (above Q-W-E-R) do not work for alt codes. Only the numeric keypad on the right side works.

Fix: Use the dedicated numeric keypad the cluster of number keys on the far right of a full-size keyboard. On a laptop, activate the virtual numpad with Fn + Num Lock first.

Alt codes don’t work in your browser or web app

Cause: Web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) and many modern web apps intercept Alt key combinations for their own shortcuts so alt codes either don’t fire or produce the wrong result in URL bars, Google Docs, or online text editors.

Fix: Type the symbol in Microsoft Word or Notepad first, then copy-paste it into your browser or web app. Alternatively, use Win + . (Windows emoji panel) to insert directly into any text field, including browsers.

Wrong code set missing the leading zero

Cause: Windows has two alt code sets. Codes without a leading zero (e.g. Alt+169) use the original IBM OEM set. Codes with a leading zero (e.g. Alt+0169) use the Windows ANSI set. For codes above 127, the two sets produce different characters using the wrong one gives you an unexpected symbol.

Fix: For all codes above 127, always use the leading zero version (e.g. Alt+0169 for ©, Alt+0176 for °). The leading zero tells Windows to use the modern ANSI character set for consistent results.

You’re on a Mac alt codes are Windows-only

Cause: Windows alt codes rely on the Windows BIOS and ANSI/OEM code page system none of which exists on macOS. The Alt key on a Mac keyboard is labelled Option (⌥) and uses an entirely different shortcut system.

Fix: Use Option key combinations instead for example, Option+G for ©, Option+2 for ™, Option+R for ®.

Still not working? Open Notepad and test Alt+0169 (should give ©). If it works in Notepad but not your app, the app is the issue not the alt code. Use copy-paste as the workaround.

Frequently asked questions about alt codes

Do alt codes work on Mac?

No. Windows alt codes do not work on Mac. macOS uses a different input system the Option key (⌥) to type special characters. For example, Option+G types © and Option+2 types ™.

How do I use alt codes on a laptop without a numpad?

Most laptops have a hidden virtual numpad built into the letter keys. Press Fn + Num Lock to activate it the J, K, L, U, I, O, M keys then act as numpad numbers 1–0. Hold Alt, type the code using those keys, then release Alt. If that doesn’t work, use Windows Character Map (Win+R → type charmap) or the Win + . emoji panel as alternatives.

What is the difference between Alt+169 and Alt+0169?

The leading zero switches between two different code sets. Alt+169 uses the original IBM OEM code page (CP437), which was designed for DOS-era systems. Alt+0169 uses the Windows ANSI code page (Windows-1252), which is the modern standard. For codes above 127 they produce different characters always use the leading zero version for consistent results in modern Windows applications.

Do alt codes work in Microsoft Excel?

Yes, most alt codes work in Excel cells, formula bars, and text boxes. However, some codes that work in Word may display as empty boxes in Excel if the active font doesn’t include that character. If a symbol appears as a box, try switching the cell font to Arial Unicode MS or Segoe UI Symbol, which have wider character coverage.

What is the alt code for the degree symbol °?

The alt code for the degree symbol (°) is Alt + 0176 on Windows. Hold Alt, type 0176 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. On Mac, use Option + Shift + 8. The Unicode value is U+00B0.

What is the alt code for ñ (n with tilde)?

The alt code for lowercase ñ is Alt + 164. For uppercase Ñ, use Alt + 165. On Mac, type ñ with Option + N, then press N again. The Unicode values are U+00F1 (lowercase) and U+00D1 (uppercase).

Do alt codes work in Google Docs?

Partially. Some alt codes work in Google Docs on Windows, but browser-based apps are less reliable than desktop apps because Chrome and Edge intercept some Alt key combinations. The most reliable method in Google Docs is Insert → Special characters from the menu, or type the symbol in Notepad and paste it in. The Win + . emoji panel also works in Google Docs.

Are there alt codes for emoji?

Traditional alt codes (1–255 and 0128–0255) don’t cover modern emoji, which are part of the Unicode standard beyond the Windows ANSI range. To insert emoji on Windows, press Win + . (Windows key + period) to open the emoji picker, which works in most apps including Word, Excel, Outlook, and browsers.

How many alt codes are there?

There are 255 OEM alt codes (Alt+1 through Alt+255) from the original IBM PC design, and 128 extended ANSI codes (Alt+0128 through Alt+0255) introduced by Microsoft for Windows. In applications like Microsoft Word that support Unicode input via Alt+X, over 143,000 Unicode characters are accessible covering virtually every writing system, symbol set, and emoji in the world.

What is the alt code for the copyright symbol ©?

The alt code for the copyright symbol © is Alt + 0169. Hold the Alt key, type 0169 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. In Microsoft Word you can also type (c) and Word’s autocorrect will convert it to © automatically. On Mac, use Option + G.

Key takeaways

Alt codes work on Windows only and only from the numeric keypad
The Alt key + numpad combination is a Windows-specific feature rooted in the original IBM PC BIOS design from 1981. Mac users need Option key shortcuts instead.

Always use the leading zero for codes above 127
Alt+0169 (ANSI) and Alt+169 (OEM) use different code sets and produce different results above code 127. Use the leading zero version for consistent, predictable output in modern Windows applications.

Laptop users: activate the virtual numpad with Fn + Num Lock
Most laptops hide a numpad in the J/K/L/U/I/O/M keys. Press Fn + Num Lock to unlock it. If that fails, use Windows Character Map (charmap) or the Win + . emoji panel as alternatives.

Alt codes don’t work reliably in browsers use copy-paste instead
Chrome, Edge, and Firefox intercept Alt key combinations for their own shortcuts. Type symbols in Notepad or Word first, then paste into your browser or web app.

Use the search box on this page to find any symbol instantly
Type a symbol name (e.g. “copyright”, “degree”, “lambda”) or paste the symbol directly into the search box in the chart section above to find its alt code, Unicode value, and compatibility information in seconds.

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