How do I type a tick symbol?

Whether you’re checking off a digital gift list or marking your kid’s homework, a tick symbol is a useful addition to your keyboard armoury. But where on earth is it? Here’s how to type a tick symbol in Windows and macOS.

The short answer is: with great difficulty. For some reason, neither Microsoft nor Apple has made it easy to insert a check mark. The processes below are, therefore, a tad clunky. So, if you’re just after a quick tick or cross symbol, copy and paste the symbols below…

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Tick mark symbol in Windows

If you’re after a more permanent solution for Windows, prepare to dust off your keyboard’s number pad – or to click through multiple windows – to produce a check mark.

If you’re working in Microsoft Office and are the proud owner of a number pad, select the Windings font from the dropdown, hold down Alt and type “0252” into the right-hand number pad. Ta-da!

If you’re not blessed with a number pad, select the Insert tab within Word/PowerPoint/Excel, click on the Insert symbol | More Symbols… and then choose the tick symbol. Microsoft has even produced a video showing you how to do it, which is maybe a clue that there should be an easier way…

For all other applications, I recommend the copy-and-paste method using the symbols above or elsewhere. To save coming back to this article, you may want to copy and paste them into Windows’ Sticky Notes. Sure, it’ll take a couple of seconds, but it’s a lot less messy than fiddling with symbol lists.

Tick mark symbol in macOS

If time is of the essence, there is a clunky solution for Apple devotees: Alt+V. This will produce a square root symbol (√), no matter what program you’re using. And it sort of looks like a tick, right? Right?

If that just won’t cut the mustard, I again recommend simply copying and pasting the symbols further up this article. Yes, it’s a cop-out, but it’s much better than trawling through menus every time – or, even worse, wasting precious minutes creating a text shortcut that will work barely anywhere.

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