By Maya Chen, lettering designer and type educator · Checked by Jordan Hale · · How we review content
Key facts
- Alt+1 to 255 without a leading zero uses the OEM code page (usually CP437 in the US), so Alt+3 gives ♥ and Alt+169 gives ⌐.
- Alt+0128 to 0255 with a leading zero uses the ANSI code page (Windows-1252 in Western Windows), so Alt+0169 gives © and Alt+0174 gives ®.
- Alt codes only work on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on: hold Alt for the whole sequence and release it after the last digit.
- Classic Alt codes cover 255 characters; emoji have none, so use the Windows emoji panel (Windows key plus full stop) instead.
- In Microsoft Word, typing a hexadecimal code point and pressing Alt+X converts it to a character; 20AC then Alt+X gives €.
- Mac has no Alt codes: Option+G gives ©, Option+R gives ® and Option+2 gives ™.
Alt codes let you type a character that is not on your keyboard by holding Alt and entering a number on the Windows numeric keypad. Search the list by character, name or number to find the code for a symbol, accent or letter, or just copy the symbol straight from the table, with Mac equivalents below.
How to use alt codes
- Search by character, name or number in the box, for example heart, euro or 0169.
- Filter with Alt + 1 to 255 (OEM), Alt + 0128 to 0255 (ANSI), or Letters only and Symbols only, then read the code in the table.
- Type it or copy it. Hold Alt, type the digits on the numeric keypad and release Alt, or press Copy on the row.
On Windows you can type a character that is not on your keyboard by holding Alt, typing a number on the numeric keypad, and releasing Alt. The character appears when you let go. The tool above lets you search the full list by character, name or number and copy the symbol from the table. The text below explains the rules.
There are two different tables behind this feature, and mixing them up causes most of the confusion.
| Typing | Code page | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alt + 1 to 255, no leading zero | OEM, usually CP437 in the US | Alt+3 | ♥ |
| Alt + 0128 to 0255, with a leading zero | ANSI, usually Windows-1252 in Western Windows | Alt+0169 | © |
The first set is the old IBM PC character set: smiley faces, card suits, box-drawing lines and a few accented letters. The second is the set that Windows applications use for Western European text: currency signs, accented letters and common symbols. Where both tables cover a number, they give different results, so Alt+174 gives « but Alt+0174 gives ®.
These are my mappings, checked against the Python codecs for cp437 and cp1252.
Useful codes
| Character | Name | Alt code | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| © | Copyright sign | Alt+0169 | ANSI; Alt+169 gives a different character |
| ® | Registered sign | Alt+0174 | ANSI |
| ™ | Trade mark sign | Alt+0153 | ANSI |
| ° | Degree sign | Alt+0176 or Alt+248 | Both give °: one ANSI, one OEM |
| ± | Plus-minus sign | Alt+0177 | ANSI |
| € | Euro sign | Alt+0128 | ANSI |
| £ | Pound sign | Alt+0163 | ANSI |
| ¥ | Yen sign | Alt+0165 | ANSI |
| ½ | Vulgar fraction one half | Alt+0189 or Alt+171 | Both give ½ |
| µ | Micro sign | Alt+0181 | ANSI |
| é | Latin small letter e with acute | Alt+0233 or Alt+130 | Both give é |
| ñ | Latin small letter n with tilde | Alt+0241 or Alt+164 | Both give ñ |
| ü | Latin small letter u with diaeresis | Alt+0252 or Alt+129 | Both give ü |
| ☺ | White smiling face | Alt+1 | OEM; works in many apps, not all |
| ♥ | Black heart suit | Alt+3 | OEM; see note below |
| ♪ | Eighth note | Alt+13 | OEM (in recent Windows this may act as a control code in some apps) |
| ∞ | Infinity | Alt+236 | OEM |
| √ | Square root | Alt+251 | OEM |
For the numbers 1 to 31, Alt codes display the old IBM glyphs, but in some programs those numbers are treated as control characters (Alt+13 can act as a Return, for instance) and you may get nothing at all. If a symbol does not appear, copy it from the table instead.
No numeric keypad?
Many laptops do not have a dedicated keypad. Your options:
- Embedded keypad. Some models print small numbers on the J, K, L, U, I, O and number keys. Turn it on with Fn plus Num Lock (or similar) and hold Alt while typing the digits on the lettered keys.
- Windows emoji and symbol panel. Press Windows key plus full stop (.) or semicolon (;), then open the Symbols tab.
- Character Map. Search for “Character Map” in the Start menu, choose a font, then Select and Copy.
- Copy and paste. The table above has a copy button for every character, and our symbols pages list popular ones, such as hearts, stars and arrows, ready to copy.
- On-screen keyboard. It has a clickable numeric keypad you can use with Alt.
Mac equivalents
Mac does not have Alt codes, but it has Option-key shortcuts that cover most of the same ground.
| Character | Mac shortcut |
|---|---|
| © | Option+G |
| ® | Option+R |
| ™ | Option+2 |
| ° | Option+Shift+8 |
| € | Option+Shift+2 |
| £ | Option+3 |
| ¥ | Option+Y |
| µ | Option+M |
| • | Option+8 |
| é, ñ, ü | Option+E, N or U, then the letter |
| √ | Option+V |
| ∞ | Option+5 |
These shortcuts apply to US keyboard layouts; other layouts differ. For anything else, open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space, or use Edit, then Emoji and Symbols.
Word’s Alt+X trick
In Microsoft Word you can type a Unicode code point in hexadecimal, then press Alt+X to turn it into a character: type 20AC, press Alt+X, and you get €. Press Alt+X again to turn the character back into its code. This works for characters well beyond the 255 that Alt codes cover, as long as the font has them. It is useful when you know the code point (from the symbols pages, for example) but not an Alt code.
Alt+number or copy and paste?
Alt codes are quick for a few characters you type every day, such as ©, ° and é, and well worth memorising. For everything else, copying is easier, and it works on any device including phones, where Alt codes do not exist. If you want fancy lettering rather than symbols, use the text decorator.
Frequently asked questions
Basics
Do emoji have Alt codes?
What are Alt codes?
How do I type an Alt code?
What is the Alt code for a heart?
What do the filters in the Alt codes tool do?
Where it works
How do I use Alt codes on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
Are there Alt codes on Mac?
What are the Alt codes for accented letters?
Do Alt codes work in web browsers and games?
How it works
What is the difference between Alt+169 and Alt+0169?
Can I type any Unicode character with an Alt code?
How does the Alt+X trick in Word work?
Why do some low Alt codes show nothing?
Tips & limits
Why do my Alt codes not work?
Which Alt codes are worth memorising?
How do I find the code for a symbol that is not in the list?
Related generators & guides
- Text Symbols to Copy and PasteText symbols are Unicode characters, such as hearts, stars, arrows, check marks and brackets, that you copy and paste into bios, names, messages and documents. Each one shows its Unicode name and code point, so you know exactly what you are pasting and can tell it apart from an emoji.
- Text DecoratorThis text decorator wraps your name in 28 frames such as ꧁ ꧂ and ★彡 彡★, in the letter style you choose. Type a name, filter frames by mood, then tap a row to copy.
- Convert Fancy Text Back to Plain TextConvert fancy text to normal here: paste bold, cursive, gothic, bubble or small caps text and the plain letters appear instantly, ready to edit, search for or read aloud.
- Invisible Character Copy and PastePick an invisible character from the list, copy it and paste it where you need empty-looking text. Each blank is explained below, with the apps where it tends to work.
- Superscript GeneratorThis superscript generator turns letters, digits and signs into tiny raised Unicode characters, such as x² and 10⁻³. Type the part to raise, tap Copy and paste it into a bio, chat, note or document with no toolbar.
- Lettering Image MakerThis lettering generator draws your words in 16 display fonts, from bubble and graffiti to Old English and neon. Pick colours and effects, then download a sharp PNG.