Code reference
Alt codes
Windows Alt codes for symbols. Hold Alt, type the number on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Filter the table or copy the code you need.
112 symbols
Alt code table
| Symbol | Name | Alt code | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alt+1 to Alt+31 · IBM PC graphics, code page 437 | |||
| Black Heart Suit | Alt+3 | ||
| Black Diamond Suit | Alt+4 | ||
| Black Club Suit | Alt+5 | ||
| Black Spade Suit | Alt+6 | ||
| Inverse Bullet | Alt+8 | ||
| White Circle | Alt+9 | ||
| Inverse White Circle | Alt+10 | ||
| Male Sign | Alt+11 | ||
| Female Sign | Alt+12 | ||
| Eighth Note | Alt+13 | ||
| Beamed Eighth Notes | Alt+14 | ||
| White Sun With Rays | Alt+15 | ||
| Black Right Pointing Pointer | Alt+16 | ||
| Black Left Pointing Pointer | Alt+17 | ||
| Up Down Arrow | Alt+18 | ||
| Double Exclamation Mark | Alt+19 | ||
| Black Rectangle | Alt+22 | ||
| Up Down Arrow With Base | Alt+23 | ||
| Upwards Arrow | Alt+24 | ||
| Downwards Arrow | Alt+25 | ||
| Rightwards Arrow | Alt+26 | ||
| Leftwards Arrow | Alt+27 | ||
| Right Angle | Alt+28 | ||
| Left Right Arrow | Alt+29 | ||
| Black Up Pointing Triangle | Alt+30 | ||
| Black Down Pointing Triangle | Alt+31 | ||
No symbols in this table match. Search every symbol or clear the filter.
How to type an Alt code
An Alt code enters a character by its number in a Windows code page. It works in most Windows apps, including Word, Excel, browsers, and chat apps.
- Turn on Num Lock.
- Hold down the left Alt key.
- Type the digits on the numeric keypad. The number row above the letters does not work.
- Release Alt. The symbol appears at the cursor.
For example, Alt + 0151 types an em dash (—), and Alt + 26 types a rightwards arrow (→).
With or without a leading zero
Windows reads the number differently depending on how it starts:
- Alt+0128 to Alt+0255, with a leading zero, use Windows-1252, the ANSI code page of Western-language Windows. This is where ©, €, and the em dash live.
- Alt+1 to Alt+255, without a leading zero, use the OEM code page, code page 437 on US English systems. Alt+1 to Alt+31 produce IBM PC graphics such as ☺, ♥, and arrows.
The two ranges hold different characters, so Alt+151 types ù while Alt+0151 types —. Where a symbol exists in both, the table lists the Windows-1252 form. Systems set to another OEM code page, for example many European installations, produce different characters for codes without a leading zero.
Without a numeric keypad
Many laptops have no separate keypad. Other ways to type a symbol on Windows:
- Copy it from this page with the Copy button and paste it.
- Press Win + . to open the emoji and symbol panel, then choose the Symbols tab.
- In Microsoft Word, type the Unicode code point in hexadecimal, such as
2192, then press Alt + X. - Open Character Map from the Start menu, search for the character, and copy it.
Alt codes are a Windows feature. On a Mac, use Character Viewer (Control + ⌘ + Space). Most symbols have no Alt code at all; every symbol has a Unicode code point.
Questions about Alt codes
Why does my Alt code type the wrong symbol?
Check three things: you are using the numeric keypad rather than the number row, Num Lock is on, and you typed the leading zero if the code has one. Codes without a leading zero also depend on the system’s OEM code page.
Do Alt codes work on a laptop without a keypad?
Only if the laptop has an embedded keypad, usually enabled with Fn + Num Lock. Otherwise copy the symbol, use the Win + . panel, or use Word’s Alt + X shortcut.
Do Alt codes work on a Mac or on Linux?
No. Alt codes are part of Windows. macOS offers Character Viewer and Option-key shortcuts; many Linux desktops accept Ctrl + Shift + U followed by the hexadecimal code point.
Why do only 112 symbols have an Alt code?
Alt codes reach only the 255 characters in each legacy code page. Most of the symbols on HotSymbol are outside those tables, so they can only be entered by copying, by their Unicode code point, or through an input panel.