On an iPhone, tap 123 for numbers and punctuation, then #+= for more symbols, and press and hold a key to reveal hidden variants: hold 0 for the degree sign (°), - for dashes and the bullet, and $ for other currency signs. Android keyboards work the same way. For anything else, copy the symbol and paste it.
°DetailsPhone keyboards show only a fraction of what they can type. The rest is hidden behind long presses and extra symbol pages, and a few built-in settings let you create shortcuts for symbols you use often. Here is how to get at all of it on both platforms.
Typing symbols on iPhone and iPad
1. The number and symbol pages
The standard iOS keyboard has three layers:
- Letters, the default view.
- 123: digits and common punctuation such as
- / : ; ( ) $ & @ " . , ? ! '. - #+= (tap it from the 123 page): brackets and braces, math signs like
+ = * ^ %,_ | ~ < >, plus €, £, ¥ and the bullet •.
Tip: instead of tapping 123, typing a symbol and tapping back, touch 123 and slide your finger to the symbol, then release. The keyboard types it and returns to letters automatically.
2. Press and hold for hidden characters
Many keys hide extra characters. Touch and hold a key until a small menu pops up, slide to the character you want, and lift your finger. On the U.S. English keyboard in recent versions of iOS, these are the most useful:
| Hold this key | To get |
|---|---|
| 0 | ° |
| - (hyphen) | – — • |
| $ | € £ ¥ ¢ |
| . (period) | … |
| ! | ¡ |
| ? | ¿ |
| & | § |
| % | ‰ |
| " | “ ” „ « » |
| e | é è ê ë |
| n | ñ |
Every vowel and several consonants also hold accented versions: a, e, i, o, u, c, n, s, y and z among them. The exact options depend on your iOS version and which keyboard languages you have enabled. For long passages in another language, adding that language’s keyboard (Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard) is faster, or use our accent keyboard in the browser.
3. The emoji keyboard
Tap the smiley or globe key to open emoji. Emoji include many symbol-like characters: check marks, arrows, hearts, stars, warning signs and zodiac signs. Use the search field at the top of the emoji keyboard to find them by name. Note that emoji versions are usually colorful and may look different on other devices than plain text symbols such as ✓ or ★.
4. Text Replacement for symbols you use often
iOS can swap a short code for any symbol:
- Copy the symbol, for example from a SymbolHero copy button.
- Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement and tap +.
- Paste the symbol into Phrase, and type a short trigger such as
zdegorzcheckinto Shortcut. - Tap Save. Now typing the trigger and a space inserts the symbol.
Start triggers with a letter combination you never type, like “zz” or “xx”. Replacements sync through iCloud to your iPad and Mac.
Typing symbols on Android
Android phones ship with different keyboards. The steps below are for Gboard, Google’s keyboard, which is the default on Pixel and many other phones. Samsung Keyboard and others use the same ideas with different key labels.
1. The symbol pages
Tap ?123 for numbers and common punctuation. Then tap =< for a second page of symbols, which includes characters such as ©, ®, ™, ° and π. On Samsung Keyboard, tap !#1 and use the page arrows to reach additional symbols.
2. Long press
Just like on iPhone, pressing and holding a key opens a menu of variants. Letters give accented versions, and many punctuation and currency keys hold related symbols. Gboard’s Long press for symbols setting (under Preferences) adds a symbol to every letter key, so you can reach common punctuation without switching pages.
3. Emoji search
Tap the emoji key (or long-press the comma key on some layouts) and use the search box to find emoji and symbols by name.
4. Personal dictionary shortcuts
Gboard can expand a shortcut into a symbol. Open Gboard settings, go to Dictionary > Personal dictionary, pick your language, tap +, and enter the symbol as the word with a short trigger as the shortcut. When you type the trigger, the symbol appears as a suggestion; tap it to insert. Samsung Keyboard offers a similar text shortcuts feature in its settings.
Copy and paste on any phone
When a symbol is not on your keyboard at all, copying is quickest. Open the symbol search in your phone browser, search for the character, tap the copy button and paste it where you need it: touch and hold in a text field, then tap Paste. Browse the symbol categories for things like arrows, box shapes or musical notes.
Why a symbol looks wrong or won’t appear
- You see an empty box or a question mark. The app’s font lacks that character. The symbol is still there; it will display in apps or on devices whose fonts include it.
- It turned into a colorful emoji. Some characters, such as ❤, have both a text and an emoji presentation, and the phone may choose emoji. That is expected behavior, not an error.
- The long-press menu doesn’t appear. Hold a little longer without moving. On Android, check that long-press for symbols is enabled in your keyboard’s settings.
- Text Replacement doesn’t fire. Type a space after the shortcut, and make sure predictive text isn’t overriding it by suggesting a different word.
Related symbols
- Degree Symbol (°) and Bullet Point (•)
- Check Mark (✓) and other check marks
- Black Heart Suit (♥) and more hearts
- Black Star (★) and more stars
Frequently asked questions
How do I type the degree symbol on an iPhone?
Tap 123, then press and hold 0 and slide to °.
Where are the hidden symbols on the iPhone keyboard?
On the #+= page and behind long presses. Hold keys like 0, -, $, !, ? and the quote key to see extra characters.
How do I type a check mark on my phone?
Search “check” on the emoji keyboard for the emoji version, or copy the plain text ✓ and save it as a Text Replacement (iPhone) or personal dictionary shortcut (Gboard).
Can I use Alt codes on a phone?
No. Alt codes are a Windows keyboard feature. Phones use long presses, symbol pages and text shortcuts instead.