How to Type the Copyright Symbol (©)

The copyright symbol (©) shortcut is Alt + 0169 on a Windows numeric keypad and Option + G on a Mac. In Microsoft Word, typing (c) turns into © automatically. Or copy it here:

The © character is Unicode U+00A9 COPYRIGHT SIGN, decimal 169. The methods below work in any app unless noted otherwise.

Copyright symbol shortcuts at a glance

Copyright symbol shortcut on Windows

Alt + 0169

1. Turn on Num Lock.
2. Hold Alt and type 0169 on the numeric keypad.
3. Release Alt.

The leading zero is required. Codes with a leading zero use the Windows-1252 character set, where © is at position 169. The old three-digit DOS codes (code page 437) do not include a copyright sign, so Alt + 169 gives you a different character (⌐, the reversed not sign). This is the most common reason people think the copyright shortcut is broken.

Laptops without a numeric keypad

Press Windows + . (period) or Windows + ; to open the emoji and symbol panel. Click the Symbols tab (Ω) and find © among the Latin symbols. You can also use Character Map: search Start for “Character Map”, tick Advanced view, search “copyright”, and copy the result. The Alt code finder lists the codes for © and other legal symbols in one place.

Copyright symbol on a Mac

Press Option + G. This works on the US and British layouts in any app, from Pages and Keynote to web forms in Safari or Chrome.

If you use a different keyboard layout, or want to see similar characters, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search “copyright”.

Copyright symbol in Word, Google Docs and Excel

Microsoft Word: the (c) AutoCorrect shortcut

Word’s default AutoCorrect list replaces (c) with © as you type, and does the same for (r) to ® and (tm) to ™. If you actually wanted the letters “(c)”, for example in a numbered list, press Ctrl + Z immediately after the replacement and Word restores what you typed. To turn it off permanently, go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options and remove the entry.

Word also accepts the Unicode method: type 00A9, then press Alt + X. Or use Insert > Symbol, where © is usually already in the quick grid.

Google Docs

Use Insert > Special characters and search “copyright”. Google Docs can also replace text automatically: check Tools > Preferences > Substitutions, and if (c) is not in the list, add it with © as the replacement.

Excel and Google Sheets

=UNICHAR(169) returns ©. To build a footer line, combine it with text: ="Copyright "&UNICHAR(169)&" "&YEAR(TODAY()). Excel also supports Insert > Symbol.

Copyright symbol on iPhone and Android

The standard iPhone keyboard does not include ©. The quickest fix is a text replacement: go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, tap +, paste © as the phrase, and enter a shortcut such as ccopy. Many Android keyboards, including Gboard, list © on the second symbols page (=<). On either platform you can also copy it from the top of this page.

Copyright symbol in HTML

For a website footer, use ©, which every browser supports, or the numeric references © and ©. A typical footer looks like this:

<p>&copy; 2026 Example Ltd. All rights reserved.</p>

In CSS, use content: "0A9";. In JavaScript, "u00A9". The Unicode converter generates these for any character, and the HTML entities table lists every named reference.

How to write a copyright notice

A conventional notice has three parts: the © symbol (or the word “Copyright”), the year of first publication, and the name of the owner, for example “© 2026 Jane Smith”. Adding “All rights reserved” is common but optional in most countries today.

In the United States, a copyright notice has not been required for works published on or after March 1, 1989, and copyright protection exists from the moment a work is fixed in a tangible form. A notice still tells readers who owns the work and when it was published. For legal questions about registration or enforcement, consult a qualified attorney; this guide covers only the symbol.

Writing “(c)” in plain text is widely understood, but it is not the same character as ©. When the real symbol is available, use it.

Symbols that look like ©

℗ is the symbol you see on album covers next to the recording’s year. It has the HTML entity ℗ but no Windows Alt code or standard Mac shortcut, so copy it or use the symbol finder. The circled C comes from the enclosed alphanumerics set and should not be used in place of the copyright sign, because screen readers and search engines treat it as a letter.

Why the copyright shortcut is not working

• You get ⌐ instead of ©. You typed Alt + 169. Add the leading zero: Alt + 0169.
• Nothing happens. Alt codes need the numeric keypad with Num Lock on; the number row does not work.
• Option + G gives a different character. Your Mac is using a non-US input source. Use the Character Viewer or switch layouts.
• Word keeps changing (c) when you don’t want it to. Press Ctrl + Z right after the change, or remove the AutoCorrect entry.
• The © looks too big or too small. This is a font design choice; some fonts draw it at cap height, others smaller. You can change the font or apply superscript formatting, but the character itself is the same.

Related symbols

• ® Registered trademark symbol
• ™ Trademark symbol
• ℠ Service mark
• § Section sign, used in legal citations

More characters of this kind are in the punctuation and typographic symbols and letterlike symbols categories.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Alt code for the copyright symbol?

Alt + 0169 on the numeric keypad. There is no working three-digit code; Alt + 169 produces ⌐.

What is the copyright symbol shortcut on a Mac?

Option + G.

How do I type © in Word quickly?

Type (c) and Word’s AutoCorrect converts it to ©. You can also type 00A9 and press Alt + X.

What is the difference between © and ℗?

© marks copyright in works such as text, images and music compositions. ℗ marks copyright in a specific sound recording.