Typing the degree symbol on Mac OS X might seem difficult, but you definitely don't need a computer science PhD to be able to do it. So whether you want to write it in your mathematical equations or just want to write how cold the weather is, here is our guide on how you can easily type the degree symbol on a Mac.
There are two ways you can type a degree symbol and both methods work across any app or web browser because the functions are built in the Operating System itself.
Method 1 – Degree Symbol from the Special Characters Menu
You can insert the degree symbol using the Special Characters menu, which is now called the Emoji and Symbols menu in OS X Yosemite. All you have to do to access this menu is position your cursor where you'd like to type the degree symbol, then go to either of the following in the Menu Bar:
- Edit -> Special Characters or
- Edit -> Emoji and Symbols (OS X Yosemite)
Or simply use the keyboard shortcut Control+Command+Space
Method 2 – Degree Symbol using a keyboard shortcut
So the method above gave you the option of not just inserting the degree symbol, it also provides you with access to hundreds of other symbols and emojis. But if you just want to quickly type the degree symbol, then this is your best and fastest option:
- Option+K: inserts a small degree symbol (i.e., 72?)
- Shift+Option+8: inserts a slightly larger degree symbol (i.e., 72°)
These keyboard shortcuts are universal and available everywhere on Mac OS X. So whether you're in Safari, Chrome, Work, or in any other word processor or text editor, then you can always type the degree symbol.
So there you go, you can now tell someone its absolutely freezing outside without having to type the word 'degrees', awesome!