Windows Alt+X hex codes

The Alt+X method converts a hex code point into the character it represents. Type

2713 into a document, press Alt and X together, and the four digits are

replaced with ✓. The sequence is handled by the application rather than by Windows

itself, which is why it works in Microsoft Word, WordPad, Outlook, and some other

rich text editors but not in Notepad, browsers or most chat applications.

The method

1. 1. Type the hex code point where you want the character. Do not include 0x or the

U+ prefix.

1. 2. Press Alt and X at the same time.
2. 3. The digits are replaced by the character.

Pressing Alt and X again reverses the conversion and puts the hex code back,

which makes it easy to check what a character is. Select a character you did not

type, press Alt and X, and Word shows you its code point.

The value is the same number listed as the Unicode code point on this site's symbol

pages, so a page showing U+2713 is telling you to type 2713.

Where it works

Treat it as a word processing feature. If you need a character somewhere that does not

support it, use the HTML escape, a CSS escape, or copy the character.

The numpad hex form

Windows itself has a second, undocumented in the user interface, hex input path.

Adding a registry value turns it on:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Input Method
  Value name:  EnableHexNumpad
  Value type:  REG_SZ
  Value data:  1

Restart after adding it. Then hold Alt, press the + key on the numeric keypad,

type the hex code point, and release Alt. So Alt + + then 2713 then

release Alt inserts ✓.

This route also needs a numeric keypad, and it registers as a system-wide input

method rather than an application feature. It is worth setting up only if you type

symbols often enough that the Character Viewer and copy-paste have become too slow.

If you have no numpad, none of the Alt-based routes are available to you and you

should use the Character Viewer instead.

Why the hex codepoint is more useful than an Alt code

Legacy Alt codes only cover 255 characters, taken from two older code pages. The hex

code point is the character's real identifier in Unicode and exists for every one of

the more than 150,000 assigned characters. Once you know that the character you want

is U+2713, that single number works in Word with Alt+X, in HTML as ✓, in

CSS as \2713, in Python with \u2713, and in the macOS Character Viewer search

field. A legacy Alt code works in one place.

FAQ

Why does Alt+X do nothing in my document?

Either the application does not implement it, or there is no valid hex code under

the cursor. Alt+X needs the cursor immediately after a run of hex digits. Place the

cursor directly after the last digit and try again.

Can I use more than four digits?

Yes. Unicode code points above U+FFFF are written with five or six hex digits, such

as 1F600 for a grinning face. Alt+X accepts those values.

Does Alt+X change the document character encoding?

No. It inserts the character into the document using whatever encoding the file

already uses. In a modern Word file that is Unicode, so any character is available.