Shows up in math, science, and statistics constantly — here’s the fastest method on every platform
The plus-minus symbol ± (Unicode U+00B1) appears constantly in scientific writing, engineering tolerances, statistical margins of error, and mathematical notation.
It’s not on any standard keyboard but every platform has a reliable method to type it, and on most of them the fastest approach takes under two seconds once you know it.
When You Need It
± is used to indicate that a value can be either added or subtracted — a measurement of 5 ± 0.3 means the value falls between 4.7 and 5.3. It appears in:
- Scientific measurements and tolerances — 5.0 ± 0.1 mm
- Statistical margins of error — 52% ± 3%
- Mathematical equations — x = ±√n
- Physics and engineering specifications
- Medical and pharmaceutical dosage ranges
The related symbol ∓ (minus-plus, U+2213) is the reverse — minus first, then plus — used in some mathematical contexts. Methods for this are included at the end.
Windows
Method 1: Alt Code
Hold Alt and type 0177 on the numeric keypad. Release Alt and ± appears.
- Num Lock must be on
- Use the numeric keypad only — not the number row at the top
- Doesn’t work on laptops without a dedicated numpad
Method 2: Character Map
Search for Character Map in the Start menu. Find ± in the Latin-1 Supplement block, copy it, and paste. Works on any Windows machine including those without a numpad.
Method 3: System-Wide Text Expansion
Use PhraseExpress, AutoHotkey, or Espanso to map a trigger like +- or \pm to ± system-wide. Works in every application — browsers, email, spreadsheets, chat apps — without needing to remember an Alt code.
A simple AutoHotkey script:
::+-::±Mac
Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut
Press Option + Shift + = to type ± instantly.
This is the method to remember on Mac. The equals sign modified by Option + Shift produces the plus-minus symbol — logical because ± is a combination of + and −, related to the = key’s neighborhood on the keyboard. Works in every application with no setup.
Method 2: Character Viewer
Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer. Search “plus-minus” and double-click ± to insert.
Method 3: Text Replacement
Go to System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements and map a trigger like +- or \pm to ±. Works system-wide across every Mac app.
iPhone and iPad
Method 1: Long Press the + Key
Tap and hold the + key on the iOS keyboard — accessible after tapping ?123 to get to the numbers and symbols view. A popup may show ± as a long-press option depending on your iOS version and keyboard settings.
If ± doesn’t appear on long press, the text replacement method is the most practical solution.
Method 2: Text Replacement
Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement. Add ± as the phrase and a trigger like +- or \pm as the shortcut. Auto-expands in any text field across iOS after setup.
Method 3: Symbols Page
Tap ?123 to switch to numbers, then tap #+— or the equivalent to reach the second symbols screen. ± may be directly accessible there depending on your iOS version and region settings.
Android
Method 1: Long Press the + Key
On Gboard and most Android keyboards, tap and hold the + key in the symbols view (?123). A popup typically shows ± as a long-press variant. Slide to it and release.
This works on most Android keyboards without any setup and is the fastest method for occasional use.
Method 2: Gboard Symbol Search
In Gboard, tap the G logo and use the search function. Type “plus minus” and ± appears as an insertable option. Tap to insert.
Method 3: Text Replacement
In Gboard settings, go to Dictionary → Personal Dictionary, select your language, and add ± with a shortcut like +-. Expands automatically as you type.
Chromebook
Method 1: Unicode Input
Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00b1, then press Enter or Space. ± appears at your cursor immediately.
Method 2: Special Characters Picker
Press Search + Shift + Space to open the emoji and special characters panel. Search “plus-minus” and select the ± symbol.
Linux
Method 1: Unicode Input
Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00b1, then press Enter. Works consistently across most Linux distributions and desktop environments.
Method 2: Compose Key
With a Compose key configured, the sequence is Compose + + + – (Compose, plus sign, hyphen) to produce ±. Enable the Compose key in your keyboard settings if it isn’t already active.
Method 3: US International Keyboard
On the US International keyboard layout, Right Alt + Shift + = produces ± on some configurations. Check your specific layout if this method appeals to you.
Microsoft Word (Any Platform)
Method 1: Alt + X
Type 00B1 then immediately press Alt + X. Word converts the Unicode code point to ± instantly.
Method 2: Insert Symbol With AutoCorrect
Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Find ± in the Latin-1 Supplement character set or search by name. Click AutoCorrect and set a trigger like +- or \pm that Word automatically converts as you type. This makes ± available without any keyboard gymnastics for all your document work.
Method 3: Equation Editor
For scientific and mathematical documents where ± appears in formal equations, Word’s equation editor handles it cleanly. Press Alt + = to open an equation field. Type \pm and press Space — the equation editor renders it as a properly formatted ± in math mode.
Method 4: Alt Code
Hold Alt and type 0177 on the numpad — same as the standard Windows method, works in Word as everywhere else.
Google Docs
Option + Shift + = on Mac works inside Google Docs exactly as it does everywhere else. On Windows, the Alt + 0177 numpad code works inside Docs as well.
For equations, go to Insert → Equation and type \pm followed by Space — Google’s equation editor renders it correctly in math formatting.
For inline use, go to Insert → Special Characters, search “plus-minus,” and click to insert. An OS-level text replacement is more efficient for regular use.
LaTeX
In LaTeX, ± is typed as \pm in math mode:
latex
The measurement is $5.0 \pm 0.1$ mm.For the minus-plus variant:
latex
$x = \mp y$LaTeX’s math mode handles both cleanly through standard commands — no Unicode input needed.
Excel and Google Sheets
For labels and text cells, use the same platform method as above — Alt code on Windows, Option + Shift + = on Mac.
For formula use, note that ± isn’t a mathematical operator that Excel or Sheets recognizes — it’s a display symbol only. To express a range in a formula, calculate the upper and lower bounds separately rather than using ± in the formula itself.
The Minus-Plus Symbol Too
The related ∓ symbol (U+2213) — minus first, then plus — appears in some mathematical and physics contexts as the counterpart to ±.
| Platform | ∓ Method |
|---|---|
| Windows | Alt + 8723 on numpad (decimal) |
| Mac | Character Viewer — search “minus-or-plus” |
| Chromebook | Ctrl + Shift + U, 2213 |
| Linux | Ctrl + Shift + U, 2213 |
| Microsoft Word | Type 2213 then Alt + X |
| LaTeX | \mp in math mode |
∓ is less common than ± and doesn’t have as convenient a shortcut on most platforms — the Unicode input or Word’s Alt + X method are the most practical approaches.
Quick Reference Table
| Platform | Fastest Method | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Alt code (numpad) | Alt + 0177 |
| Mac | Keyboard shortcut | Option + Shift + = |
| iPhone / iPad | Long press + key or text replacement | Hold + in symbols view |
| Android | Long press + key | Hold + in ?123 view |
| Chromebook | Unicode input | Ctrl + Shift + U, 00b1 |
| Linux | Unicode input | Ctrl + Shift + U, 00b1 |
| Microsoft Word | Code conversion | Type 00B1 then Alt + X |
| LaTeX | Math command | \pm in math mode |
The Bottom Line
On Mac, Option + Shift + = is clean and memorable — it transforms the equals key area into the plus-minus symbol, which makes intuitive sense. On mobile, the long press on the + key is built in and requires no setup. On Windows, the Alt code covers most situations and the AutoCorrect setup in Word makes it seamless for document work.
For anyone writing scientific content, engineering specifications, or statistical analysis regularly, a text expansion shortcut mapping +- to ± is worth two minutes to set up — it works across every application and makes the correct symbol no harder to type than its text approximation.
Alt + 0177 on Windows. Option + Shift + = on Mac. Long press + on mobile. And \pm in LaTeX — always \pm in LaTeX.
Meet Ry, “TechGuru,” a 36-year-old technology enthusiast with a deep passion for tech innovations. With extensive experience, he specializes in gaming hardware and software, and has expertise in gadgets, custom PCs, and audio.
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