How to Use Alt Codes & Alt X Codes to Insert Symbols and Special Characters

Byadmin Hours

Alt Codes & Alt X Codes provide an easy way to insert symbol and special characters like copyright (©), heart (♥), registered (®), arrows, or trademarks (™) into your documents, web pages, or other digital content. In this Blog Post, I will show you how to use Alt Codes & Alt X Codes to insert special characters and symbols into your documents and web content.

Both Alt Codes and Alt X Codes use Unicode code points to represent a wide range of characters, including letters, numbers, punctuation marks, emojis, and symbols.

What Are Alt Codes?

Alt Codes allow you to insert symbols, accented letters, and special characters by typing numbers on the numeric keypad. They work in most text fields and applications, especially on Windows.

There are 256 standard Alt Codes in the extended ASCII set. For even more characters and symbols, you can use Unicode, which supports over 143,000 characters, including letters, symbols, and emojis.

While Alt Codes are primarily based on extended ASCII, Microsoft Word uses Unicode to support a broader range of characters, including emojis, symbols, and special characters.

How to Insert Alt Codes.

To insert a symbol or special character using Alt Codes:

  • Enable the Num Lock Key on your Keyboard

(The numeric code can only be entered using numeric keypad, if your laptops does not have a numeric keypad this it would not work)

Use Alt Codes to Insert Symbols and Special Characters
  • Hold Down any of the Alt Key from your keyboard and start typing numeric Alt code on Numeric Keypad as Bellow
  • Release the ALT Key after you finish the Numeric Alt Code
  • The Character/Symbol will appear after you release ALT Key.

Examples :

  1. How to Insert Summation (Σ) Symbol
  2. Hold Down ALT Key and type 228 from Numeric Keypad
  3. Release the ALT Key
Use Alt Codes to Insert Symbols and Special Characters
  • The Summation Symbol will Appear

Σ

  • How to insert Pi (π) Symbol
  • Hold Down ALT Key and type 227 from Numeric Keypad
  • Release the ALT Key
Use Alt Codes to Insert Symbols and Special Characters
  • The Pi Symbol will Appear

π

What Are Alt + X Codes?

Alt + X Codes are primarily used in Microsoft Word and other applications to insert special characters and symbols via Unicode.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Type the Unicode number (in hexadecimal format) for the character you want to insert.
  2. After typing the number, press Alt + X.
  3. The Unicode number will be replaced by the corresponding symbol.

Example:

  • In Microsoft Word Document Type 00A9, then press Alt + X to get the copyright symbol © as shown bellow.

The Copyright Symbol will be shown as bellow.

Key Differences Between Alt Codes and Alt + X Codes

Alt Codes Alt + X Codes
Use numeric values from the numeric keypad  Use hexadecimal Unicode values 
Work universally in most text fields and applications, especially in Windows applications. Primarily work in applications that support Unicode, like Microsoft Word.

I hope this Tutorial helps understand ALT Codes and how to use Alt Codes to insert Alt Symbols & Special Characters, if have any query, feedback or suggestions feel free to contact us.

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