How to Type a Registered Trademark Symbol ® on a Keyboard

® is one of the more useful symbols to know — here’s the fastest method on every platform

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Whether you’re writing product listings, drafting marketing copy, or putting together a business document, the registered trademark symbol ® comes up often enough that hunting for it every time gets old quickly. Like the degree symbol, the method varies by platform — but on most of them there’s a shortcut worth memorizing.

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The Symbol and What It Means

Just to be clear on what you’re typing: ® is the registered trademark symbol, used to indicate that a trademark has been officially registered with the relevant government authority. It’s distinct from ™ (unregistered trademark) and ℠ (service mark), though the typing methods for all three are similar enough that they’re covered below where relevant.

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Windows

Method 1: Alt Code (Most Reliable)

Hold Alt and type 0174 on the numeric keypad. Release Alt and ® appears.

• Num Lock must be on
• Use the numeric keypad, not the number row at the top
• Laptops without a dedicated numpad will need a different method

Method 2: Character Map

Search for Character Map in the Start menu, find ®, and copy it to your clipboard. Slow, but works on any Windows machine including those without a numpad.

Method 3: Word AutoCorrect (Happens Automatically)

If you’re in Microsoft Word, you probably don’t need to do anything at all. Word’s AutoCorrect feature automatically converts (r) to ® as you type. Type the letter, the parentheses, and Word handles the rest.

Method 4: System-Wide Text Expansion

For use outside of Word — in browsers, email clients, spreadsheets, anywhere — a tool like PhraseExpress, AutoHotkey, or Espanso lets you set a trigger like (r) or regd that expands to ® across every application. Set it up once and forget about it.

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Mac

Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest)

Press Option + R to type ® instantly. That’s it.

This is one of the easiest symbol shortcuts on any platform. Option + R is straightforward to remember — R for Registered — and works in every Mac application without any setup.

Method 2: Character Viewer

Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer. Search for “registered” and double-click the symbol to insert it.

Method 3: Text Replacement

Go to System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements and map a shortcut like (r) or regd to ®. Works system-wide across every app on your Mac.

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iPhone and iPad

Method 1: Standard Keyboard — Symbols Page

Tap ?123 to switch to numbers and symbols, then tap the #+— key to get to the second symbols screen. ® is on that page. Tap it to insert.

It’s not the fastest method, but it’s built in and requires no setup.

Method 2: Text Replacement

Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add ® as the phrase with a short trigger like (r) or regd. After that, your shortcut expands to ® automatically in any app.

For anyone who types ® regularly on mobile, this is worth the two minutes it takes to set up.

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Android

Method 1: Symbols Menu

Tap ?123 to open the numbers and symbols layout. On most Android keyboards including Gboard, ® is visible directly on that screen or one tap further into a secondary symbols page.

Method 2: Long Press on R (Gboard)

On Gboard, tap and hold the R key. A popup of alternate characters appears — ® is typically one of them. Slide to it and release.

Method 3: Gboard Voice or Emoji Search

In Gboard, tap the G logo and use the symbol search. Type “registered” and the symbol will appear as an insertable option.

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Chromebook

Method 1: Unicode Input

Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00ae, then press Enter or Space. The ® symbol appears at your cursor.

This is the standard ChromeOS Unicode entry method and works in most text fields across the system.

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Linux

Method 1: Unicode Input

Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00ae, then press Enter. Works the same way as ChromeOS and is consistent across most Linux distributions and desktop environments.

Method 2: Compose Key

With a Compose key configured, the sequence is Compose + o + r to produce ®. The Compose key needs to be enabled in your keyboard settings first if it isn’t already.

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Microsoft Word (Any Platform)

Word gives you several options beyond the AutoCorrect trick:

Type 00AE then immediately press Alt + X. Word converts the Unicode code point to ® on the spot.

Or just type (r) — Word’s AutoCorrect handles the conversion automatically without any setup required.

For the ™ symbol in Word, type (tm) and AutoCorrect converts it the same way.

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Google Docs

Go to Insert → Special Characters, search for “registered,” and click to insert. Like the degree symbol, the most practical ongoing solution is to use your operating system shortcut — Option + R on Mac works inside Docs just like anywhere else, and the Alt code works on Windows.

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Quick Reference: ™ and ℠ Too

Since you’re here, the related trademark symbols follow the same logic:

Symbol	Windows Alt Code	Mac Shortcut	Unicode
® Registered	Alt + 0174	Option + R	00AE
™ Trademark	Alt + 0153	Option + 2	2122
℠ Service Mark	Character Map only	Option + Shift + S (some systems)	2120

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The One to Remember for Each Platform

Platform	Fastest Method
Windows	Alt + 0174 (numpad)
Mac	Option + R
iPhone / iPad	Text replacement shortcut
Android	Long press R key (Gboard)
Chromebook	Ctrl + Shift + U, then 00ae
Linux	Ctrl + Shift + U, then 00ae
Microsoft Word	Type (r) — AutoCorrect handles it

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The Bottom Line

On a Mac, Option + R is so easy there’s nothing else to think about. On Windows, the Alt code works reliably if you have a numpad, and Word’s AutoCorrect removes the problem entirely for document work. On mobile, a text replacement shortcut is the one-time setup that pays off every time after.

If you’re writing product copy, legal documents, or anything commercial with any regularity, spend two minutes setting up a text expansion shortcut on whichever platform you use most. The ® symbol is common enough in that kind of writing that having it on a trigger is genuinely worth it.

Option + R on a Mac. Alt + 0174 on Windows. Everything else is a two-minute setup away.