Cheat Sheets4 min readUpdated on October 24, 2026

Special Characters on a Mac Keyboard: Printable List

Q: How do I type the euro sign on a Mac?

On a US Mac keyboard, Option + Shift + 2.

Q: How do I type a bullet point on a Mac?

Option + 8 types the bullet •.

Q: Where is the tilde on a Mac keyboard?

Shift plus the key left of 1. Option + N followed by Space gives a small accent tilde instead.

Special characters on a US Mac keyboard: € is Option + Shift + 2, © Option + G, bullet Option + 8. List of 32 symbols with keys, as a printable PDF.

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Contents

With Shift
With Option
Keys of their own
Pro tip
Matching sheets
Frequently asked questions
Sources

On a US Mac keyboard most symbols sit on the number row with Shift, the same as on Windows: @ is Shift + 2, # is Shift + 3, curly brackets are Shift + [ and Shift + ]. The extra ones come with the Option key: € is Option + Shift + 2, © is Option + G, the bullet • is Option + 8. The list shows 32 symbols with their keys, read from the macOS U.S. keyboard layout.

With Shift

Shift + 2 - @ at sign
Shift + 3 - # hash
Shift + 4 - $ dollar
Shift + 5 - % percent
Shift + 7 - & ampersand
Shift + 8 - asterisk *
Shift + 9 - ( opening parenthesis
Shift + 0 - ) closing parenthesis
Shift + - - _ underscore
Shift + [ - { opening curly bracket
Shift + ] - } closing curly bracket
Shift + \ - | pipe
Shift + ' - " double quote
Shift + ; - : colon
Shift + / - ? question mark
Shift + key left of 1 - ~ tilde

With Option

Option + Shift + 2 - € euro
Option + 3 - £ pound
Option + G - © copyright
Option + 2 - ™ trademark
Option + Shift + 8 - ° degree
Option + 8 - • bullet
Option + 6 - § section
Option + - - – en dash
Option + ; - … ellipsis
Option + [ - “ opening quote
Option + Shift + [ - ” closing quote

Keys of their own

[ - [ opening square bracket
] - ] closing square bracket
\ - \ backslash
/ - / slash
= - = equals

Pro tip

For the tilde, use Shift plus the key left of 1. Option + N is a dead key for letters like ñ, and with Space after it gives a small tilde, not the ~ you need in file paths and code.

Matching sheets

The Windows version is the special characters list for QWERTY. How to type numbers fast without a numpad is in how to type numbers on a Mac. Practice the symbols right away in the symbols-only drills.

Frequently asked questions

How do I type the euro sign on a Mac?

On a US Mac keyboard, Option + Shift + 2.

How do I type a bullet point on a Mac?

Option + 8 types the bullet •.

Where is the tilde on a Mac keyboard?

Shift plus the key left of 1. Option + N followed by Space gives a small accent tilde instead.

Sources

macOS keyboard layout "U.S.", every key read with Apple's key translation (UCKeyTranslate) on 2026-10-24.
Typing special characters - University at Buffalo, Office of Communications.
Special characters on a Mac - Mislav Marohnić.