To type a degree symbol (°) on iPhone, tap 123, touch and hold the 0 key, slide to °, and lift your finger. There is no setting to turn on first, and the same gesture works in most apps that use Apple’s onscreen keyboard, including Messages, Notes, and Mail.
The degree symbol is one of the keyboard’s hidden characters. Apple’s onscreen keyboard guide says you can touch and hold a letter, number, or symbol to see the characters related to it, then slide to the one you want and release. This article follows the current iOS 27 version of that guide, and Apple gives the same instruction for earlier versions.
What You Need
- Apple’s onscreen keyboard. The steps describe the standard iPhone keyboard. A keyboard app you installed from the App Store may arrange its symbols differently.
- A text field. The keyboard opens when you tap anywhere you can type, such as a message, a note, or a search box.
- The number keys. The 0 key is only visible after you tap 123. A number-only keypad, like the one in the Phone app, is a different layout.
How to Type ° With the iPhone Keyboard
- Open the app you want to type in and tap the text field. The keyboard slides up from the bottom of the screen.
- Type the number that the symbol belongs to, such as 72, if you have not already.
- Tap 123 at the lower left of the keyboard. The letters are replaced by numbers and common punctuation, with 0 at the right end of the top row.
- Touch and hold 0. Keep your finger on the glass. After a moment a small pop-up appears above the key with the ° symbol in it.
- Without lifting, slide your finger onto ° so it is highlighted.
- Lift your finger. The degree symbol is inserted where the cursor was.
- Tap ABC to go back to the letters if you want to add a unit.
To confirm it worked, look for a small raised circle right after the number, as in 72° or 90°. If you see 720 instead, the key was tapped rather than held. For a temperature, type the unit letter straight after the symbol: 72°F or 22°C.
How to Undo or Remove the Symbol
The degree symbol is ordinary text, so tapping the Delete key once removes it. Apple’s text editing guide also describes an undo gesture: swipe left with three fingers, then tap Undo at the top of the screen. Nothing about the keyboard changes when you use the hidden character, so there is no setting to reverse afterward.
If the Degree Symbol Does Not Appear
- Hold, do not tap. A quick tap types the digit 0. Keep your finger still on the key until the pop-up appears.
- Slide before you lift. Apple’s guide notes that you release on the option you want. Lifting while your finger is still on 0 will not insert the symbol.
- Check which keyboard is showing. The emoji keyboard does not have the number row, and keyboards from other apps may not either. Touch and hold the Emoji or globe key at the bottom of the keyboard and tap your regular language keyboard, as described in Apple’s add or change keyboards guide.
- Third-party keyboards vary. Many of them use the same touch-and-hold idea, but Apple does not document their layouts. If the symbol is missing, switch to the Apple keyboard for a moment or check that keyboard maker’s help pages.
- Copy and paste as a fallback. Select this character, copy it, and paste it where you need it: °. Our guide on how to access your clipboard on iPhone explains how copied text is stored.
The same touch-and-hold gesture reveals accented letters and other hidden characters. See how to type accent marks above letters for those.
Make a Text Replacement Shortcut for °
If you type ° often, or the hold-and-slide gesture is awkward for you, set up a text replacement. A text replacement is a short code that the iPhone swaps for a longer or harder-to-type piece of text. Apple’s text replacement guide gives two routes to the same screen.
- Open Settings, tap General, tap Keyboard, then tap Text Replacement. Or, while typing, touch and hold the Emoji or globe key, tap Keyboard Settings, then tap Text Replacement. Your list of existing shortcuts opens.
- Tap the Add (+) button.
- In the Phrase field, enter °. You can type it with the 0 key method or paste it.
- In the Shortcut field, type a few letters that are not a real word, such as ddeg. A real word would be replaced every time you typed it.
- Tap Save.
From then on, typing your shortcut offers the degree symbol in its place. Your entries are managed from the same Text Replacement list, so return there if you want to change or remove this one. The same Keyboard screen holds the Auto-Correction and Predictive Text switches covered in how to change iPhone keyboard settings. Apple also says your personal dictionary can stay up to date on your other Apple devices through iCloud when iCloud Drive syncing is on.
Warning: do not use Reset Keyboard Dictionary to remove one shortcut. Apple states that this reset deletes all of your custom words and shortcuts. For more on this feature, see how to add words and shortcuts to the iPhone keyboard.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Method | Setup | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Touch and hold 0 | None | Occasional use in any app with the Apple keyboard |
| Text Replacement shortcut | About a minute, once | Frequent use, or when holding and sliding is difficult |
| Copy and paste | None | A keyboard or text field where the other methods are unavailable |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the degree symbol on the iPhone keyboard?
It is hidden behind the 0 key on the number layout. Tap 123, touch and hold 0, slide to °, and release. It is not printed on any key, which is why it is easy to miss.
Does this work on iPad?
Apple’s iPad guide gives the same instruction: touch and hold the letter, number, or symbol related to the character, then slide to the option you want. On an iPad, show the number keys first, then touch and hold 0.
Is the degree symbol the same as a superscript zero or a raised letter o?
No. The degree sign is its own character. A superscript zero or the masculine ordinal sign (º) can look similar, but they are different characters and may display or search differently in other apps. Use ° for temperatures, angles, and map coordinates.
Can I say “degrees” with Dictation instead?
Possibly, but do not rely on it. Apple’s list of Dictation commands for iPhone covers punctuation such as periods, commas, and dollar signs and does not list a degree sign, so whether a spoken temperature is written with ° can vary. Check the text after dictating and fix it with the keyboard if needed.
Can I type other symbols the same way?
Yes. Apple says you can touch and hold many letters, numbers, and symbols to see related characters, such as é when you hold the e key. Apple also notes that you can add other characters using the emoji keyboard. If you do not see it, here is how to add the emoji keyboard on iPhone.
Do I need to add another language keyboard?
No. The symbol is available on the standard keyboard without adding anything. If you do want another language for other reasons, see how to add a Spanish keyboard or any language on iPhone.
Next Step
Try the gesture once in Notes so the motion sticks, then decide whether a text replacement is worth the minute of setup. Working in a document on a computer instead? See how to insert a degree symbol in Google Docs or how to insert a square root symbol in Word.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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