Introduction
If you type frequently — whether for work, school, or content creation — you’ve probably needed a special character like a heart ♥, degree °, or copyright © symbol. Instead of copying and pasting from the internet, you can use Alt codes to insert these symbols instantly with your keyboard.
In this post, we’ve curated the top 50 most useful Alt codes that can enhance your typing and save you time. Whether you’re writing blog posts, filling out spreadsheets, customizing usernames, or updating your social media bio, these shortcuts will make your life easier.
🧩 What Are Alt Codes (Quick Recap)?
Alt codes are keyboard combinations used on Windows computers. You simply hold down the Alt
key and type a number on the numeric keypad to insert a special character.
Example:
-
Alt + 3
→ ♥ -
Alt + 0176
→ °
Need a full walkthrough? See our detailed guide:
👉 What Are Alt Codes? A Beginner’s Guide
💡 Top 50 Most Useful Alt Codes
Symbol | Description | Alt Code |
---|---|---|
☺ | Smiley face | Alt + 1 |
☻ | Inverse smiley | Alt + 2 |
♥ | Heart | Alt + 3 |
♦ | Diamond suit | Alt + 4 |
♣ | Club suit | Alt + 5 |
♠ | Spade suit | Alt + 6 |
• | Bullet | Alt + 7 |
◘ | Inverse bullet | Alt + 8 |
○ | Hollow circle | Alt + 9 |
♂ | Male symbol | Alt + 11 |
♀ | Female symbol | Alt + 12 |
♪ | Music note | Alt + 13 |
♫ | Double music note | Alt + 14 |
☼ | Sun symbol | Alt + 15 |
► | Play arrow | Alt + 16 |
◄ | Reverse play arrow | Alt + 17 |
↕ | Vertical arrow | Alt + 18 |
‼ | Double exclamation | Alt + 19 |
¶ | Paragraph mark | Alt + 20 |
§ | Section sign | Alt + 21 |
▬ | Block element | Alt + 22 |
↨ | Dual-direction arrow | Alt + 23 |
↑ | Up arrow | Alt + 24 |
↓ | Down arrow | Alt + 25 |
→ | Right arrow | Alt + 26 |
← | Left arrow | Alt + 27 |
∟ | Right angle | Alt + 28 |
↔ | Left-right arrow | Alt + 29 |
▲ | Up triangle | Alt + 30 |
▼ | Down triangle | Alt + 31 |
⌂ | Home icon | Alt + 127 |
± | Plus-minus | Alt + 0177 |
× | Multiplication sign | Alt + 0215 |
÷ | Division sign | Alt + 0247 |
° | Degree | Alt + 0176 |
© | Copyright | Alt + 0169 |
® | Registered trademark | Alt + 0174 |
™ | Trademark | Alt + 0153 |
¢ | Cent sign | Alt + 0162 |
£ | Pound | Alt + 0163 |
¥ | Yen | Alt + 0165 |
€ | Euro | Alt + 0128 |
¼ | One quarter | Alt + 0188 |
½ | One half | Alt + 0189 |
¾ | Three quarters | Alt + 0190 |
√ | Square root | Alt + 251 |
∞ | Infinity symbol | Alt + 236 |
≈ | Approximate | Alt + 247 |
µ | Micro | Alt + 0181 |
🧠 Pro Tips for Using These Codes
Use a full keyboard with a numeric keypad.
Turn Num Lock ON before typing.
Leading zeroes (like Alt + 0176) are often required for extended symbols.
Don’t use the number keys at the top of your keyboard — they won’t work.
📌 Related Alt Code Categories
Make sure to check out our detailed symbol collections:
You can also explore our full Alt Code Table with copy-to-clipboard support.
🎯 Final Thoughts
Alt codes are one of the most underused tools for efficient typing. Whether you’re writing a blog post, creating content, or formatting documents, learning just a few of these codes can drastically improve your workflow.
Start with a few from this list and see how quickly you memorize them. The more you use them, the faster you’ll become at typing like a pro.