How to type Alt codes on Windows

An Alt code is a number you type on the numeric keypad while holding the left

Alt key. Releasing Alt makes Windows insert the character for that number.

The method only works on the physical numeric keypad, so a desktop keyboard or a

full-size laptop keyboard is required. Three-digit codes such as Alt+3 produce

characters from the OEM code page; four-digit codes with a leading zero such as

Alt+0176 produce characters from the Windows (ANSI) code page. Both tables

exist, which is why one symbol can have two valid Alt codes.

The exact keystrokes

1. 1. Turn Num Lock on. The Num Lock light on the keypad must be lit.
2. 2. Click where you want the character to appear so the cursor is in the right place.
3. 3. Press and hold the Alt key. Use the Alt key on the left of the space bar.
4. 4. Type the code on the numeric keypad, not the number row above the letters.
5. 5. Release Alt. The character appears.

For Alt+3 you hold Alt, tap the 3 on the keypad, and release. A black heart

suit appears. For Alt+0176 you hold Alt, type 0, 1, 7, 6, and

release. A degree sign appears.

Three-digit codes and four-digit codes are different tables

The two ranges are not two ways of writing the same thing.

Below 128 the two tables agree because both inherit ASCII. Above 127 they diverge.

Alt+248 gives a degree sign from code page 437, and Alt+0176 gives the same degree

sign from Windows-1252, but Alt+130 and Alt+0130 produce different characters.

The characters in the 1 to 31 range are the awkward ones. Code page 437 assigns a

picture to each of those slots, so Alt+1 gives a white smiley and Alt+3 gives

a heart. Those numbers are not printable Unicode characters. They draw a picture

only because the OEM console font places a glyph in that cell. In a modern

application using a TrueType font, the same keystroke can insert nothing visible or

an invisible control character.

When Num Lock is on and nothing appears

The most common cause is typing the code on the number row instead of the keypad.

Windows receives those keys as ordinary digit characters and there is no Alt code

sequence to complete. The second most common cause is a laptop that folds the numpad

into the letter keys. Hold Fn and check whether keys such as U, I,

O, J, K and L carry small number labels. If they do, hold Fn as

well as Alt while you type the code.

If you need a character and neither of those applies, the Alt code method is not

available to you on that keyboard. Use the [Character Viewer / Emoji

panel](/how-to/type-symbols-without-a-numpad/), an HTML entity, or copy the

character directly.

Finding the right code

Every symbol page on this site lists its legacy Alt code, its decimal codepoint and

its hex codepoint, so you can pick whichever method your keyboard supports. Search

the symbol by name if you do not know the number.

FAQ

Does the Alt code method work on Windows 11?

Yes. The numeric keypad entry path is a long-standing part of the Windows text input

stack and has not been removed. Num Lock must still be on, and the left Alt key must

still be used.

Why does the right Alt key not work?

The right Alt key is often mapped to AltGr, which composes accented characters

rather than starting a numeric Alt sequence. Use the Alt key on the left of the space

bar.

Can I use Alt codes in a browser?

Yes, in any text field that accepts keyboard input, including address bars, search

boxes and web forms. The browser does not intercept the sequence.