On a Mac using the British layout, the hashtag is Option + 3 — the key is usually labeled alt on a UK Mac keyboard. On a Mac using the US layout it is Shift + 3. Or copy one:
#DetailsThe reason for the difference is simple: on a British Mac layout, Shift + 3 is already taken by the pound sign £, so Apple moved # up one level to the Option layer.
Hashtag shortcuts by layout
| Layout | Type # | Type £ |
|---|---|---|
| UK, Mac | Option + 3 | Shift + 3 |
| US, Mac | Shift + 3 | Option + 3 |
| UK, Windows | Its own key near Enter | Shift + 3 |
| US, Windows | Shift + 3 | Alt + 0163 on the numeric keypad |
The two Mac rows are mirror images of each other, which is the single most useful thing to remember. Whichever of # and £ is not on Shift + 3 is on Option + 3. There is no third place to look.
Why the # key is missing from UK Mac keyboards
British keyboards have to fit the pound sign somewhere, and the number row is the natural home for a currency symbol. On UK PC keyboards, Microsoft solved this by giving # a dedicated key next to Enter, which is why British PC keyboards have an extra key that US ones do not. Apple took the other route: the British Mac layout has the same physical key count as the US one, so # was pushed onto the Option layer of the 3 key rather than onto a key of its own.
Nothing is printed on that key to tell you so. Apple’s UK keycaps show 3 and £, and # appears nowhere on the keyboard at all. That is why so many people arrive at this page convinced their keyboard is faulty. It is not — the character is there, one modifier key away.
The same logic explains a few other UK Mac oddities. The at sign stays on Shift + 2, unlike UK Windows keyboards where @ and the double quote swap places. If that catches you out when you move between machines, see how to type the pound sign for the other half of this story.
Confirm which layout you are on
Before troubleshooting anything else, look at what your Mac thinks your keyboard is. Open System Settings, go to Keyboard, and find the Text Input or Input Sources section. Turn on the option to show the Input menu in the menu bar; the exact wording and nesting vary by macOS version, but the toggle is in that area. The menu bar will then show a flag or abbreviation such as British or U.S.
From that Input menu, choose Show Keyboard Viewer. The Keyboard Viewer draws your live layout and updates as you press modifier keys, so hold Option and watch the 3 key change. If it shows #, you are on the British layout and Option + 3 is your shortcut. If Shift shows # instead, you are on the US layout. This beats guessing from the keycaps, which describe only the hardware the keyboard was manufactured for.
If you have both layouts installed, the Input menu switches between them with one click, and System Settings can assign a keyboard shortcut for switching under Keyboard Shortcuts, Input Sources.
Other ways to get # on a Mac
Character Viewer
Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, or choose Edit > Emoji & Symbols from the menu bar. Search for number sign and double-click the result to insert it. The Character Viewer works in any app with a text field and is the universal fallback when a shortcut fails. Our guide to typing special characters on a Mac covers its search and favorites features in more detail.
A text replacement shortcut
If you type # constantly and Option + 3 keeps slipping your mind, set up a text replacement. In System Settings, open Keyboard and find Text Replacements (in older macOS versions it is Keyboard > Text). Add an entry with a trigger you would never type by accident, such as ;;h, and # as the replacement. It then expands anywhere text replacement is supported, and it syncs to your iPhone and iPad through iCloud if you have that enabled.
Copy and paste
For a one-off, copy the character from the number sign reference page or search the symbol library. This is also the answer when you are on a borrowed machine and cannot change its settings.
In documents and spreadsheets
In Microsoft Word, typing 0023 and pressing Alt + X converts the code point into #, which works the same way on a Mac keyboard. In Excel, =UNICHAR(35) returns it. In Google Docs, use Insert > Special characters and search for number sign. Be careful in spreadsheets: a cell full of # characters usually means the column is too narrow to display a number, not that you typed anything.
Reference table
| Item | Number sign | Pound sign |
|---|---|---|
| Character | # | £ |
| Unicode | U+0023 NUMBER SIGN | U+00A3 POUND SIGN |
| HTML | # or # |
£ or £ |
| UK Mac | Option + 3 | Shift + 3 |
| US Mac | Shift + 3 | Option + 3 |
| Windows Alt code | None needed | Alt + 0163 or Alt + 156 |
When Option+3 does not produce #
- You get £ instead. You are on the US layout, where the two characters trade places. Press Shift + 3, or switch to the British input source from the Input menu.
- Nothing happens at all. Some apps bind Option + number to their own commands, and full-screen apps can swallow modifier keys. Try in TextEdit first to confirm the shortcut itself works, then look at that app’s keyboard settings.
- You are using a Windows keyboard on a Mac. The Alt key takes the place of Option, and modifier positions may not match the legends. Open the Keyboard Viewer and hold each modifier to see what the Mac is actually doing with that hardware.
- It works in most apps but not in a remote session. Remote desktop clients, virtual machines and browser-based terminals apply their own keyboard layout. Set the layout inside the session as well as on the Mac.
- The key produces nothing and your Mac beeps. Check that Mouse Keys or another accessibility feature is not intercepting the keypad and modifier keys.
Related symbols
Characters that move around with # on UK layouts include the pound sign £, the at sign @ and the dollar sign $. If you actually want the abbreviation for a number rather than the hash character, the numero sign № is the typographically correct choice, and the section sign § is Option + 6 on a US Mac layout. Browse the punctuation category for the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no # key on my UK Mac keyboard?
Because the pound sign occupies Shift + 3 on the British layout, and Apple did not add an extra physical key the way UK PC keyboards did. The # character lives on Option + 3 instead, even though nothing is printed on the keycap to say so.
Is Option the same key as Alt on a Mac?
Yes. On most Apple keyboards sold outside the US the key is labeled alt, sometimes with the small Option glyph beside it. Press it exactly as you would Option.
How do I type a hashtag on an iPhone or iPad?
Tap the 123 key to open the numbers and symbols layer; # is there with the other punctuation. As explained in typing symbols on iPhone and Android, touch keyboards are not affected by your Mac’s layout, so # is always in the same place regardless of region. A text replacement created on your Mac syncs to iOS through iCloud if that is switched on.
Is the hashtag the same character as the pound sign?
No, although the naming causes endless confusion. # is U+0023 NUMBER SIGN, used for hashtags, issue numbers and code comments. £ is U+00A3 POUND SIGN, the British currency symbol. Americans often call # "the pound key" from telephone usage, which is why the two get mixed up.
Do I need an Alt code for the hashtag on Windows?
No. On US Windows keyboards # is Shift + 3, and on UK Windows keyboards it has its own key next to Enter, so there is nothing to look up. Alt codes matter for characters missing from your layout entirely, which is what the Alt code finder is for.