How to type the degree symbol on a Mac
The degree symbol on a Mac is Option + Shift + 8. Hold both modifier keys, press 8 and ° appears in any app, from Pages and Word to Safari and Messages. It works on MacBook keyboards too, because it needs no numeric keypad.
Quick answer
Press Option + Shift + 8 → °
Step by step
Put the cursor where the sign goes
For a temperature, that is right after the number.
Hold Option and Shift
Press and keep holding both keys. Option is marked ⌥ on newer keyboards.
Press 8
Use the 8 on the number row. The degree sign appears immediately.
Two shortcuts that look right but are not
Mac users often land on the wrong character because two other Option shortcuts give something similar. Option + K types ˚, the “ring above” accent used in phonetics. Option + 0 types º, the masculine ordinal indicator from Spanish and Portuguese (1º). Both look like a small circle, but neither is read as “degrees” by search engines, spreadsheets or VoiceOver. Only Option + Shift + 8 gives the true degree sign, U+00B0.
Writing temperatures on a Mac
Type the number, the degree sign and a capital letter: 21 °C or 70 °F. Scientific style adds a space before °C; many newspapers leave it out. If you use the temperature often, create a text replacement under System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements, for example turning ;dc into “ °C”. It then works in every app that uses the standard text system, and it syncs to your iPhone through iCloud.
Other keyboard layouts
The shortcut above is for the US and US-International layouts. On other layouts, such as French or German, the degree sign sits elsewhere. To find it, choose Show Keyboard Viewer from the input menu in the menu bar and hold Option, then Option and Shift; the on-screen keyboard shows every character available. The Mac Option key shortcuts guide lists the full US layer.
If the shortcut is taken
Some apps assign Option + Shift + 8 to their own command. In that case open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search “degree” and double-click °. You can also copy it from the degree symbol page, which also lists the HTML code ° for web pages.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Mac shortcut for the degree symbol?
Option + Shift + 8 on the US layout. It works in every app and does not need a numeric keypad.
Why does Option + K give a different circle?
Option + K types ˚ (ring above), a phonetic accent. It looks like a degree sign but is a different character, so use Option + Shift + 8.
How do I type °C on a Mac?
Press Option + Shift + 8, then type a capital C. Add a space before the sign if you follow scientific style: 25 °C.