There are a variety of symbols included in the standard computer character set. However, some symbols are not displayed on the laptop keyboard. These symbols can be entered using a numeric pad, unfortunately laptops don't always have that pad. However, you can usually still use the hidden symbols in some way.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Entering “ALT” Symbol without Keypad (PC)
Step 1. Look for small numbers on certain keys
These numbers are usually displayed in a different color and are in the corner of the main symbol of the button. Usually, these numbers are on the m, j, k, l, u, i, o, 7, 8, and 9 keys.
Step 2. Enable numeric pad function
Some keyboards that don't have a numeric pad still have a number lock button which is usually labeled as “NumLk”. Otherwise, look for a button that matches the color of the hidden number pad (usually labeled as the Fn button). Hold down the Fn key and press the scroll lock key. You can also hold down the button to activate the numeric pad function, depending on the computer you are using.
Step 3. Hold down the Alt key and enter the symbol code
You may need to hold down the Fn and alt=""Image" keys at the same time to enter the code. You can access a complete list of symbol codes at https://fsymbols.com/keyboard/windows/alt-codes/list/. Once the alt=" "Image" key is released, the desired symbol will be displayed.
Step 4. Create the symbol using the numeric pad
If the laptop keyboard has a numeric pad, the process of typing symbols becomes much easier. Make sure the “Num Lock” key or function is activated, then hold down the Alt key, enter the desired symbol code on the numeric pad, and see the symbols displayed on the screen. This process applies to computer keyboards equipped with numeric pads, both laptops and desktop computers.
Some examples of frequently used symbol codes are Alt+1 (☺) or Alt+12 (♀). The system can also display accented letters, such as Alt+0193 (Á) or other foreign language characters, such as Alt+0223 (ß). You can add math symbols like Alt+0177 (±) and some common fractions like Alt+0190 (¾)
Method 2 of 2: Using Keyboard Shortcuts for Symbols on Mac Laptops
Step 1. Hold down the Option. key or button Option+⇧ Shift.
Mac computers have more universal standards than PCs, so you can follow this process on any Mac keyboard.
Step 2. Select the desired symbol
Keep in mind that the available symbol options are more limited than the choice of symbols on a PC. Additionally, each symbol is added by holding down the Option key while pressing one or more variations of the key, and not a code. You can find a complete list of keyboard symbols on sites like
- To add an accented letter, hold down the Option key, then press the key to add an accent, followed by the key for the letter you want to add an accent to. If you need to type capital letters, you'll also need to hold down Shift. An accented “Á”, for example, can be entered by holding down Option and Shift, pressing the E and A keys respectively, and then releasing all keys.
- Symbols other than accented letters can be entered by holding down the Option key and pressing another key. For this method, the Shift key does not display capital characters, but instead changes the symbol entry for the selected key. For example, you could press the Option key and press the key to create a “≠” symbol. However, when you hold down the Shift key, you will get a “±” symbol instead.
