If you’ve ever been to Europe, you’ve probably exchanged your dollars (or whatever your currency is) to euros. The euro is one of the most important currencies in the world and is the official currency of 19 countries in the European Union. So if you’re planning to travel to Europe or to do business there, it will serve you well to know the euro symbol (€) and to learn how to type the sign on your computer or mobile device.
The euro is a fairly new currency as it was introduced only in 1999. The euro symbol (€) is based on the Greek epsilon letter (ϵ), the difference being that the euro sign has two horizontal lines across it instead of one. Just like with the US dollar, the euro symbol is usually placed in front of the value or amount without a space in between them.
Unlike the US dollar, however, the euro symbol is normally not found on the standard QWERTY keyboard. In order to type the euro sign, you will have to use a keyboard shortcut or launch your application’s character insertion tool (such as the Character Map). Fortunately, the euro sign is commonly available on the default Android and iOS keyboards, so there’s no need to press a combination of keys on your mobile phone.
In this article, you will learn how to type or insert the euro symbol on both the Windows and Mac operating systems, as well as the two most popular word processors, Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
Type the Euro Symbol on the Windows Keyboard
The easiest way to type the euro symbol on your computer is to use a combination of keys or also known as a keyboard shortcut. This method works with all applications (e.g. Microsoft Word, Notepad, Google Chrome, etc.) in your Windows computer. However, you can only use the keyboard shortcut on a keyboard with a numeric keypad or number pad which is usually situated on the right-hand side of the keyboard.
The keyboard shortcut for the euro symbol (€) is Alt + 0128. Follow these steps to type the euro sign on your computer:
- Activate the numeric keypad by pressing Num Lock (sometimes this is unnecessary).
- In your document or application, place the insertion point (or blinking cursor) where you want the symbol to appear.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- While pressing the Alt key, type 0128 on the number pad in quick succession.
- Check that the € symbol has been inserted into your document.
Type the Euro Symbol on the Mac Keyboard
Mac users can type the euro symbol on their computer using a different keyboard shortcut. Here are the steps to type the euro sign on your Mac computer:
- Place the insertion point on the location in your document where you want to the symbol to appear.
- Press the Option, Shift and 2 keys at the same time.
- Confirm that the € sign has been inserted into your document.
Insert the Euro Symbol in Microsoft Word
The aforementioned keyboard shortcuts work with commonly used applications like Microsoft Word, but Word has its own keyboard shortcut for inserting the euro symbol which is easier to memorize. You can use this shortcut to insert the euro sign into your Word document if you keep forgetting the default keyboard shortcut for Windows and Mac.
To type the euro symbol in Microsoft Word, use the shortcut keys Ctrl + Alt + E. Hold down both Ctrl and Alt keys and then press E to insert the symbol. You can also type all three keys at the same time.
If this keyboard shortcut doesn’t work, another application might be interfering with it. You can either close this application and try again, or insert the euro symbol using Word’s built-in symbol insertion tool.
To insert the euro sign in Microsoft Word, first start by clicking the Insert tab on the main menu.
On the rightmost part of the Insert menu, click the Symbol icon. This will show your recently used symbols. If you see the euro sign (€), click it to insert it into your document. Otherwise, click More Symbols.
The Symbol dialog will appear with all the symbols and special characters that you can insert in Word. To find the euro symbol, select “Currency Symbols” on the Subset dropdown field.
Click the euro sign (€) to highlight it and then click Insert to place it in your document.
Insert the Euro Symbol in Google Docs
Lots of people use Google Docs because aside from the fact that it’s free, you can easily access it anywhere using a web browser, which means there is no software to install. Just like Microsoft Word, you can type the euro sign in your Google Docs document by using a keyboard shortcut or its character insertion tool.
To type the euro symbol in Google Docs, first click Insert and on the dropdown menu, select Special characters.
The Insert special characters dialog will appear with all the symbols and special characters that you can insert in Google Docs. To quickly locate the euro symbol, select “Currency” on the dropdown field next to “Symbol.” You can also type the word “euro” into the search box on the right side.
Finally, click the euro sign (€) to insert the symbol into your document.
Insert the Euro Sign Using Character Map
For those who can’t use the keyboard shortcut due to the lack of a numeric keypad, there is another way to type the euro symbol. You can use the Character Map application to insert any symbol or special character that is available in Windows. The Character Map is installed by default on every Windows computer, so you don’t have to download and install it.
Launch the Character Map by clicking the Windows Start button on the bottom-left corner of the screen, and then on the list of applications, click Windows Accessories and then select Character Map.
On the Character Map application, check the “Advanced view” box. Type “euro” in the “Search for” field and then click Search.
Select the euro sign (€) to highlight it, and then click Select. Click Copy to copy the symbol to the clipboard. You can now paste the symbol to your document by right-clicking and selecting Paste, or by typing Ctrl + V.
Type the Euro Symbol on an Android Smartphone
On most Android smartphones, the euro symbol can be found alongside other special characters and symbols. The default Android keyboard Gboard has native support for popular currencies such as the US dollar, British pound, and of course, the euro.
Follow these steps to type the euro symbol on your Android smartphone:
- Tap the location in your document where the euro sign will be inserted.
- On the Android keyboard, tap the ?123 key.
- Tap the =\< key.
- Tap the euro symbol (€) to insert it (it’s on the second row right after the cent symbol).
Type the Euro Symbol on the iPhone
The iOS keyboard for the iPhone and iPad also has native support for the euro symbol. The symbol is available as a Unicode character so you don’t have to use an emoji to indicate the euro currency on your iPhone.
Here’s how to type the euro symbol on your iPhone or iPad:
- Tap the location in your document where the euro symbol will be inserted.
- On the iOS keyboard, tap the 123 key.
- Next, tap the #+= key to show more special characters.
- Tap the euro sign (€) to insert it.
Insert the Euro Sign in HTML
Web designers and developers can type the euro symbol in their webpages by using the the HTML character €.
Euro Currency Symbol Copy and Paste
Can’t be bothered to learn the keyboard shortcut for typing the euro symbol? Take the easy road and simply copy the euro currency symbol from this page! Just click the box below and the symbol will be automatically copied to your clipboard, ready for pasting into your document or application.
After copying the symbol, go to your document and insert it by right-clicking and selecting Paste, or by pressing Ctrl + V. If you’re on mobile, long-press and select Paste to insert the euro sign.
Parting Words
The euro is arguably the second most important currency after the US dollar, and as such, deserves a place in computer and mobile keyboards for easy typing and insertion into documents. If your keyboard doesn’t have a euro sign (i.e. American and British keyboards), you can still type it by using shortcut keys. Not too keen to learn keyboard shortcuts? Simply copy the euro symbol on this page and paste it (Ctrl + V) into your document.
