Ever found yourself digging through the symbols menu just to insert a simple © or ☺ into your document? Yeah, we’ve all been there. But what if I told you there’s a quicker way?
With just your keyboard—specifically the Alt key and your number pad—you can type tons of symbols without lifting your fingers off the keyboard. It’s a simple trick that can save you time, especially when working on documents or creating designs that need special characters.
✨ How Does It Work?
All you need to do is:
- Hold down the
Altkey - Type a number code using the numeric keypad (on the right side of your keyboard)
- Release the
Altkey
Boom! The symbol appears like magic ✨
⚠️ Important: Make sure your Num Lock is turned ON, or this won’t work!
😊 Quick Example
Let’s try typing a smiley face:
Hold Alt → Type 1 on the numpad → Release Alt
You’ll see: ☺
Cool, right?
🔢 Some Handy ALT Code Shortcuts
Here are a few useful ones to get you started:
| Shortcut | Symbol | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alt + 1 | ☺ | Smiley Face |
| Alt + 2 | ☻ | Black Smiley Face |
| Alt + 0174 | ® | Registered Trademark Symbol |
| Alt + 0169 | © | Copyright Symbol |
| Alt + 0153 | ™ | Trademark Symbol |
| Alt + 0176 | ° | Degree Symbol |
These are just a few—you can actually type dozens of different symbols using this method!
🎯 Pro Tip: If you work on documents, presentations, or even social media content, learning a few of these will make your life a whole lot easier.
