The fastest way: hold down the zero key

Press and hold the 0 (zero) key on your iPhone keyboard. After about half a second, a menu appears showing the degree symbol (°) as the first option. Tap it and the symbol appears in your text.

This works in any app where you type — Messages, Mail, Notes, web browsers, social media. The menu stays open as long as your finger touches the screen, so you can tap the degree symbol as many times as you need it in one session.

If the menu disappears before you tap, just hold the zero key again. There is no penalty for trying multiple times, and the symbol inserts exactly where your cursor was positioned.

Key Takeaways

  • Hold the zero key on your iPhone keyboard to see a menu with the degree symbol as the first choice.
  • The degree symbol works in any app where you type text, from Messages to email to web forms.
  • If you use the degree symbol often, you can add it to your text shortcuts so typing a short code inserts it automatically.
  • The hold-and-tap method is faster than navigating through special character menus or copying and pasting.

Setting up a text shortcut for the degree symbol

If you type the degree symbol regularly — for temperature, angles, or coordinates — you can create a shortcut so a few keystrokes insert it automatically. Open Settings, then tap General, then Keyboard, then Text Replacement.

Tap the + button in the top right corner. In the Phrase field, paste or type the degree symbol (°). In the Shortcut field, type a short code — something like deg or temp that you will remember and rarely type by accident.

Tap Save. Now whenever you type your shortcut code followed by a space, your iPhone replaces it with the degree symbol. This method takes a minute to set up but saves time if you use the symbol more than a few times a week. You can create as many shortcuts as you want, so you might set up one for temperature readings and another for angle measurements if both come up in your work.

Why the zero key shows the degree symbol

The degree symbol appears when you hold zero because it is a related character — both are circular shapes, and the degree symbol is essentially a small zero positioned as a superscript. Apple groups related characters together on long-press menus to keep the keyboard uncluttered while still making less common symbols straightforward to find.

Other keys work the same way. Hold the letter e and you see accented versions (é, è, ê, ë). Hold the letter a and you see à, á, â, ä. Hold the letter c and you see ç. This design means you do not need to memorize codes or dig through menus for symbols you use occasionally.

Copying the degree symbol from another source

If you need the degree symbol and the hold-zero method is not working for some reason, you can copy it from anywhere it already appears. Find the symbol in a web page, a previous message, or any text on your screen. Press and hold it until the copy option appears, then tap Copy.

Switch to the app where you need it, position your cursor, press and hold, and tap Paste. This method takes longer than holding zero, but it works if your keyboard is behaving unexpectedly or if you are in an app with a non-standard keyboard. You can also search for "degree symbol" in a web browser, copy one from the results, and paste it into your document.

Using Siri or dictation if typing is not working

If your keyboard is frozen or unresponsive, you can dictate the degree symbol by saying "degree symbol" while using the microphone button on your keyboard. Siri converts your speech to text and inserts the symbol where your cursor sits.

This method is slower than tapping and works best if you are already using voice input for other reasons. For most situations, holding the zero key remains the quickest path. Dictation also works if you are typing in a noisy environment where tapping the screen is difficult.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the degree symbol work the same way on iPad?

Yes. Hold the zero key on any iPad keyboard — whether it is the on-screen keyboard or a connected physical keyboard — and the degree symbol appears in the menu. The text shortcut method also works identically on iPad.

What if I need the degree symbol but holding zero shows nothing?

Make sure you are holding the number zero (0), not the letter O. If you are using a third-party keyboard app, that app may not support the long-press menu — try switching back to the Apple keyboard in Settings > General > Keyboard. If the symbol still does not appear, restart your iPhone and try again.

Can I add the degree symbol to my predictive text suggestions?

Not directly through predictive text, but the text shortcut method (Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement) accomplishes the same goal. Type your shortcut code and the degree symbol appears as you type, which is faster than waiting for a suggestion to appear.

Does the degree symbol count as a character in text messages or social media posts?

Yes, it counts as one character. If you are near a character limit in a text message or social media post, the degree symbol takes up one space just like any other letter or symbol would.