Currency
How to type Pound sterling (£)
Copy the character, or use the shortcut that matches your keyboard and app.
Windows
Hold Alt and type 0163 on the numeric keypad.
Mac
Option + 3
Microsoft Word
Type 00A3 then Alt + X
Google Docs
Insert → Special characters → pound
How to insert it
Copy
Click the keycap, then paste with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V.
Alt code
Num Lock on, hold Alt, type 0163, release Alt.
Code
Use the Unicode, HTML, CSS, or JS value below in documents and stylesheets.
- Unicode
U+00A3- HTML decimal
£- HTML hex
£- CSS
\00A3- JavaScript
\u{00A3}- Alt code
Alt + 0163
Related
About the Pound sterling
The Pound sterling (£, U+00A3) the sign for the British pound sterling, derived from a capital L for libra, the Roman unit of weight.
Keyboards only carry the currency of their own region, so travelers, freelancers, and online sellers go hunting for this one regularly. The copy button above is fastest for a one-off; the shortcut in the table below is worth learning if you type it every day.
If you type £ regularly, stop copying it. On Windows, hold Alt and type 0163 on the numeric keypad. On a Mac, press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer and find it instantly. In Word, type a3 and press Alt+X. The full code list is in the reference table below.
In Unicode it lives in the Latin-1 Supplement block, so it behaves the same everywhere Unicode is supported — which today means virtually every device, app, and browser. Related symbols: Euro, Yen, Indian rupee.
Pound sterling quick reference
| Symbol | £ |
|---|---|
| Name | Pound sterling |
| Unicode | U+00A3 |
| Alt code | Alt + 0163 |
| HTML decimal | £ |
| HTML hex | £ |
| HTML entity | £ |
| CSS | \00A3 |
| JavaScript | \u00A3 |
| URL encoded | %C2%A3 |
Compatibility: Displays correctly on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac.
How to type £ on your phone
iPhone / iPad
iPhones have no Alt codes. The fastest way is to copy the symbol above and paste it where you need it. To reuse it often, save it as a text replacement: go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement, tap +, paste the symbol into Phrase and give it a Shortcut.
Android
On Gboard, tap ?123 then =\< to open the symbols keyboard — many symbols hide under a long-press on related keys. Otherwise just copy the symbol above and paste it; it works in every app.