How to Type Special Characters with the Keyboard: Symbols, Shortcuts, and Codes
Typing special characters with the keyboard may seem complicated, especially when the needed symbol is not visible on the keys. […]
Autore:Anna Bruno |
Pubblicato il: 6 June 2026 |
Categoria:Digital |
Tag:
Typing special characters with the keyboard may seem complicated, especially when the needed symbol is not visible on the keys. Registered trademark, copyright, plus or minus, degree, euro, angle quotes, long dashes, special accented letters, and mathematical symbols are often used, but not always immediately found.
Summary
The good news is that there are several ways to insert them: keyboard shortcuts, Alt codes on Windows, character viewer on Mac, long press on smartphones, copy and paste, symbol menus in writing programs, and HTML codes when working on websites or online content.
In this guide we see how to type special characters with the keyboard on Windows, Mac, Android, and iPhone, which shortcuts to use, which symbols are most common, and what to do when a character is not displayed correctly.
Helpful note: combinations may change depending on the operating system, keyboard language, the program used, and the type of device. For this reason, when a shortcut doesn’t work, the safest method remains copying the symbol or using the system character panel.
What special characters are
Special characters are symbols, signs, or letters that do not always appear directly on the keyboard. They can be commercial, mathematical, typographic, technical, currency symbols, or letters used in other languages.
In common language, people often talk about special symbols, but from an SEO and practical point of view, the most searched formula is special characters with keyboard o special characters keyboard. In the article, we will use both expressions because they indicate the same need: inserting symbols not immediately visible on the keys.
How to type special characters on Windows
On Windows, you have several ways to insert special characters. The fastest depends on the symbol you need to type and the type of keyboard you are using.
Using the emoji and symbols panel
On Windows, you can open the emoji and symbols panel with this shortcut:
Windows key + .
Alternatively, on many keyboards you can also use:
Windows key + ;
From this panel you can search for emojis, symbols, special characters, and frequently used signs. It is a convenient method because it does not require remembering numeric codes.
Using the Character Map
Another useful method is the Character Map, a Windows tool that allows you to search, select and copy symbols available in the fonts installed on your computer.
Open the Start menu.
Search for Character Map.
Open the tool.
Choose the desired font.
Select the special character.
Click on Select and then on Copy.
Paste the symbol into your document, email, or web page.
This method is especially useful for less common symbols or when you don’t remember the keyboard combination.
Using Alt codes
On many Windows keyboards, you can type some special characters using the Alt key together with a numeric code. Usually, you need to hold down Alt and type the code on the numeric keypad.
If the Alt code does not work, check that the numeric keypad is enabled with Num Lock. On laptops without a numeric keypad, this method might not be available or may require different combinations.
How to type special characters on Mac
On Mac the most practical method to insert special characters is the character viewer, which allows you to search for symbols, emojis, mathematical signs, accented letters, and typographic characters.
Using the character viewer
To open the character panel on Mac you can use this combination:
For some letters, especially accented vowels or characters used in other languages, you can hold down the letter key. After a moment a small menu appears with the available variants.
For example, holding down the letter e you can find variants such as è, é, ê o ë, depending on the language and keyboard settings.
Using the Option key
On Mac some combinations with the Option key allow you to insert special symbols. However, these shortcuts may change depending on the keyboard layout. For this reason, if a combination doesn’t work, it’s best to use the character viewer.
How to type special characters on Android
On Android special characters are usually inserted from the virtual keyboard. The path might differ slightly depending on the keyboard installed, for example Gboard, Samsung keyboard, or other third-party keyboards.
In general, you can do the following:
Open the app where you want to type.
Tap the text field to bring up the keyboard.
Tap the symbols key, often indicated by ?123 or similar.
Look for the available symbol on the screen.
For other characters, tap the additional symbols key, often indicated by #+= or similar.
For accented letters, press and hold the base letter.
For example, by holding down the letter a you can find variants such as à, á, â, ä o ã. The same applies to many other letters.
If a symbol is not available on the keyboard, you can copy it from a special characters table and paste it where you need it.
How to write special characters on iPhone
On iPhone and iPad, the easiest method is to use a long press on the virtual keyboard keys. This works especially for accented letters, currency symbols, and some punctuation marks.
Open the app where you want to write.
Tap the text field.
Open the keyboard.
Press and hold a letter or symbol.
Choose the desired variant from the menu that appears.
For example, holding down a vowel can show accented versions. Holding down the euro symbol or other signs can sometimes reveal additional variants.
To access other symbols, tap the 123 key and then the #+= key. From there, you can enter parentheses, mathematical symbols, currency symbols, punctuation, and other useful characters.
Table of the most used special characters
This table collects some common special characters, with the symbol to copy, the meaning, the most used Alt code on Windows, and the HTML entity useful when working on web pages.
go to the document, email, CMS, or app where you want to insert it;
choose Paste.
Copy and paste is often the fastest method, especially if you need to insert occasional symbols and don’t want to memorize keyboard combinations.
How to insert special characters in Word, Google Docs, and other editors
In word processing programs, there are often menus dedicated to symbols. In Word, for example, you can use the Insert menu and then look for the Symbol option. In Google Docs, you can use the function to insert special characters from the dedicated menu.
These tools are useful because they allow you to search for a symbol by category, draw it by hand, or select it from a table. They are especially convenient for technical documents, school texts, formulas, units of measure, mathematical symbols, and characters used in foreign languages.
Special characters on websites: when to use HTML entities
When you write an article, a web page, or content in HTML, you can insert many symbols directly in the text. In some cases, however, it is safer to use the corresponding HTML entity.
HTML entities are useful when you work in the source code, templates, technical content, or environments where some characters might be misinterpreted.
Special characters in passwords: watch out for compatibility
Special characters are often recommended to make passwords stronger. In general, using long, unique, and hard-to-guess passwords is a good habit. However, not all services accept the same symbols.
Some sites allow characters like !, ?, @, #, * o _, while others may block more particular symbols. For this reason, it’s best to use strong passwords that are compatible with the service where they are created.
Sometimes a symbol isn’t entered, appears as an empty square, or changes appearance from one device to another. The causes can be varied.
Different keyboard layout: a valid combination on an Italian keyboard may not work on an English, French or Spanish keyboard.
Incompatible font: some fonts do not include all Unicode symbols.
Unsupported program: some apps don’t properly handle all special characters.
Wrong encoding: on websites or in text files, incorrect encoding can transform symbols into strange characters.
No numeric keypad: many Alt codes only work with the numeric keypad.
Num Lock off: if the keypad is not active, the Alt code may not work.
When a character does not work, first try copying and pasting it. If the problem continues, change the font, update the program, or use a simpler, more compatible symbol.
Special symbols, emoji and Unicode characters: what’s the difference?
Special symbols and emoji might look similar because both are characters you can enter into text, but they are not the same thing. Special characters include typographic, mathematical, currency, technical symbols and particular letters. Emoji, instead, are pictograms used mostly in informal communication.
Unicode is the standard that allows computers, smartphones, and websites to recognize many different characters: letters, symbols, alphabets, math signs, emoji and much more. When a character isn’t displayed correctly, the issue often involves the font, program, or device compatibility.
Which method should you use?
The best method depends on what you need to do.
For an occasional symbol: copy and paste is the fastest method.
On Windows: use the emoji and symbols panel, Character Map, or Alt codes.
On Mac: use the character viewer with Control + Command + Space.
On Android and iPhone: use long press or the keyboard symbol panel.
On websites: use HTML entities when you want greater code safety.
In technical documents: use the symbol menu of the writing program.
Typing special characters with the keyboard is simple when you know the main methods. On Windows you can use the emoji and symbols panel, the Character Map, or Alt codes. On Mac you can open the character viewer. On Android and iPhone you can use long press on keys or the symbols panel.
If a character doesn’t work, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re wrong: it may depend on the keyboard layout, font, program, or device. In these cases, the safest method is to copy the symbol and paste it where needed.
For writing texts, documents, passwords, web pages, or technical content, knowing the most used special characters allows you to work faster and with greater accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you type special characters with the keyboard?
You can type special characters using keyboard shortcuts, Alt codes on Windows, character viewer on Mac, long press on smartphones, or copy and paste.
How do you make the ™ symbol with the keyboard?
On Windows you can try Alt + 0153 using the numeric keypad. Alternatively, you can copy the ™ symbol directly or insert it from the operating system’s symbols panel.
How do you make the ® symbol with the keyboard?
On Windows you can use Alt + 0174 with the numeric keypad. On Mac and smartphones, it is often easier to use the character viewer, the symbols keyboard, or copy and paste.
How do you type the ± symbol?
On Windows you can try Alt + 0177. Alternatively, you can copy the ± symbol or insert it from the system’s character panel.
Why don’t Alt codes work?
Alt codes may not work if there is no numeric keypad, if Num Lock is off, if the program doesn’t support that character, or if the keyboard layout is different.
How to insert special characters on Mac?
On Mac you can open the character viewer with Control + Command + Space. From there you can search and insert symbols, emojis, accented letters, and special characters.
How to type special characters on Android?
On Android you can use the symbols key on the virtual keyboard or press and hold a letter to see available variants, such as accented vowels and other characters.
How to type special characters on iPhone?
On iPhone you can press and hold a key to see available variants or use the 123 and #+= buttons to access keyboard symbols.
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