⌨Windows Guide

Alt Codes — The Complete List
of Alt Code Symbols for Windows

Updated April 2026 12 min read All Windows versions

The complete, modern alt codes reference — every alt code symbol for Windows, organised by category, with click-to-copy for every single one. Includes the alt codes that work without a numpad, troubleshooting for common issues, and the Mac equivalent.

📚 In this guide

What are alt codes? How to use alt codes Most useful alt codes Symbol alt codes Currency alt codes Math alt codes Alt codes without a numpad Alt codes not working? Fix it

What Are Alt Codes?

Alt codes are a Windows-specific method for typing special characters and symbols using the Alt key + a number sequence on your numeric keypad. They were introduced in the early days of DOS and have been part of Windows ever since.

There are two types of alt codes on Windows. Alt + 1–255 uses the old ASCII/Windows-1252 encoding — these work in most Windows applications including Notepad, Word, and Outlook. Alt + 0xxx (four digits starting with 0) uses Windows-1252 extended characters. Some applications also support Unicode alt codes using a different method covered below.

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The fastest alternative to alt codes

Copy-paste from SymbolNow is faster, works on every device, gives you access to 1,000+ symbols, and requires no memorisation. If you only occasionally need a special character, copy-paste beats alt codes every time.

How to Use Alt Codes on Windows

Standard method (requires numeric keypad)

Make sure Num Lock is ON

Press the Num Lock key on your keyboard. The Num Lock indicator light should be on. Without Num Lock enabled, alt codes will not work.

Click where you want the symbol to appear

Place your cursor in a text field — Word, Notepad, a web form, or anywhere else you can type.

Hold Alt and type the code on the NUMERIC KEYPAD

Hold down the Alt key and use the number keys on the right-side keypad (not the top row) to type the code. Do not release Alt until you’ve finished typing all digits.

Release Alt

The symbol appears at your cursor position when you release the Alt key.

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Common mistake: using the top row numbers

Alt codes only work with the numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard. The number keys across the top row (1, 2, 3…) do not work for alt codes. If you’re on a laptop without a numpad, see the section below.

Most Useful Alt Codes

These are the alt codes you will actually use — the essential symbols that come up in everyday writing, work documents, and web content. Click the symbol or the Copy button to copy it directly.

⭐ Essential symbols — used most frequently

Sym	Alt Code	Name
© Alt+0169 Copyright sign
® Alt+0174 Registered trademark
™ Alt+0153 Trademark sign
° Alt+0176 Degree sign
— Alt+0151 Em dash
– Alt+0150 En dash
• Alt+0149 Bullet point
… Alt+0133 Ellipsis
± Alt+0177 Plus-minus sign
× Alt+0215 Multiplication sign
÷ Alt+0247 Division sign
½ Alt+0189 One half fraction
¼ Alt+0188 One quarter fraction
¾ Alt+0190 Three quarters fraction

Symbol Alt Codes

★ Stars & hearts

Sym	Alt Code	Name
♥ Alt+3 Heart suit
♡ Alt+9825 White heart suit
★ Alt+9733 Black star
☆ Alt+9734 White star
♦ Alt+4 Diamond suit
♠ Alt+6 Spade suit
♣ Alt+5 Club suit
☺ Alt+1 Smiley face
☻ Alt+2 Black smiley face

→ Arrows

Sym	Alt Code	Name
→ Alt+26 Right arrow
← Alt+27 Left arrow
↑ Alt+24 Up arrow
↓ Alt+25 Down arrow
↔ Alt+29 Left-right arrow
↕ Alt+18 Up-down arrow

✓ Check marks & crosses

Sym	Alt Code	Name
✓ Alt+10003 Check mark
✔ Alt+10004 Heavy check mark
✗ Alt+10007 Ballot X
✘ Alt+10008 Heavy ballot X
☑ Alt+9745 Ballot box with check
☒ Alt+9746 Ballot box with X

Currency Alt Codes

€ Currency symbols

Sym	Alt Code	Name
€ Alt+0128 Euro sign
£ Alt+0163 Pound sterling
¥ Alt+0165 Yen / Yuan sign
¢ Alt+0162 Cent sign
¤ Alt+0164 Generic currency sign

Math Symbol Alt Codes

∑ Mathematical symbols

Sym	Alt Code	Name
² Alt+0178 Superscript 2 (squared)
³ Alt+0179 Superscript 3 (cubed)
¹ Alt+0185 Superscript 1
√ Alt+251 Square root
∞ Alt+236 Infinity
µ Alt+0181 Micro / Mu sign
π Alt+227 Pi
∑ Alt+228 Sigma / Summation
≈ Alt+247 Almost equal to
≠ Alt+8800 Not equal to
≤ Alt+243 Less than or equal to
≥ Alt+242 Greater than or equal to

Alt Codes Without a Numpad

Most modern laptops don’t have a dedicated numeric keypad, which makes traditional alt codes impossible. Here are the three best alternatives:

Method 1: Windows Emoji Panel (Win + .)

Press Windows key + period (.) to open the emoji and symbol panel. Click the Ω tab for special characters. This is the fastest built-in method on any modern Windows laptop.

Method 2: Enable the Numeric Keypad Overlay

On many laptops, certain letter keys double as a numeric keypad when you press Fn + Num Lock. The keys are usually labelled with small numbers. Once enabled, hold Alt and use these overlay keys to enter alt codes.

Method 3: Unicode Input (works in many Windows apps)

In Microsoft Word and some other applications, you can type a Unicode code point and press Alt + X to convert it to the character. For example, type 2192 then press Alt+X to get →.

In Microsoft Word: 2192 → press Alt + X → → (right arrow) 2665 → press Alt + X → ♥ (heart) 00A9 → press Alt + X → © (copyright) 221E → press Alt + X → ∞ (infinity)

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Skip alt codes entirely — browse & copy any symbol

1,000+ symbols organised by category — click once to copy, works on any device

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Alt Codes Not Working? How to Fix It

These are the most common reasons alt codes stop working, and exactly how to fix each one:

Check: Is Num Lock on?

The most common cause. Press the Num Lock key and check the indicator light. Without Num Lock, the numpad keys act as navigation keys, not numbers.

Check: Are you using the right number keys?

Alt codes require the numeric keypad on the right side of the keyboard — not the number row across the top. On a laptop without a numpad, alt codes may not work at all.

Check: Does the application support alt codes?

Alt codes work in most Windows apps but not all. They typically work in Notepad, Word, and Outlook. They may not work in some browsers, games, or third-party apps. Try in Notepad first to confirm the code is correct.

Fix: Enable alt code support in the registry (advanced)

On some Windows systems, alt code support is disabled by default. To enable it: open Registry Editor → navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Input Method → create a new String value named EnableHexNumpad with value 1 → restart your computer.

Alt codes vs copy-paste — which should you use?

Method	Speed	Works on laptop?	Works everywhere?	Characters available
Alt codes	Medium (need to memorise)	Only with numpad	Windows only	~256 codes
Copy-paste (SymbolNow)	Fastest	Yes — any device	Every platform	1,000+ symbols
Win + . panel	Medium	Yes	Windows 10/11 only	Hundreds

Mac Equivalent of Alt Codes

Mac doesn’t use alt codes — instead it uses Option key shortcuts. For example, Option + G gives you ©, Option + R gives you ®, and Option + 2 gives you ™. Mac also has a Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) that works similarly to the Windows Character Map.

For the complete Mac guide including all Option key shortcuts, see our guide: How to Type Special Characters on Any Device.

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Unicode Character Inspector

Paste any character to instantly see its Unicode code point, alt code, HTML entity, and platform rendering

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Alt Codes — The Complete Listof Alt Code Symbols for Windows