Alt key codes give you access to hundreds of special ASCII characters, from accent marks to tiny icons. We show you how to use the Alt codes and also Word's Symbol library.

Holding down the period key will reveal more symbols, including a question mark and dollar sign, on the main keyboard. (On your computer keyboard, find out what those F1 – F12 keys really do.) ...

You can type a degree symbol with your keyboard using key combinations on a computer or numerical keyboard menus on a phone or tablet. For instance, on a PC you can use the numpad code Alt + 0176 ...

6. Reveal shortcuts for each key If you’re sick of tapping the symbols key and the long-press-the-period trick isn’t doing it for you, here’s a nifty alternative to try.