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A simple guide to adding a pi symbol wherever you’re typing
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- Windows Character Picker |
- Windows Alt Codes |
- Mac |
- Android |
- iPhone/iPad |
- Linux |
- Video |
- Q&A |
- Tips
Typing π on your keyboard might seem as challenging as using pi in an equation! But typing the pi symbol isn't as complicated as it looks, whether you have a Mac or a PC. If you want to know how to type the pi symbol in a few seconds or less, just follow these quick steps.
The Easiest Ways to Type Pi
- On Windows, Press Windows key + . (period) to open character picker, click the symbol tab, go to the Language symbols tab, and click 𝜋 .
- You can also copy and paste the π symbol or use the alt code 227.
- On a Mac, press the Option key and the P key at the same time.
- On Android, the pi symbol is in the top row of the symbol keyboard in Gboard. On iOS, you'll need to add the Greek keyboard to type a pi.
Steps
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Press ⊞ Win + . . Pressing the Windows key and the period (.) at the same time opens the character picker, which allows you to insert a pi and other symbols into any app that allows typing—even your web browser! [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
- You can also easily copy and paste this pi symbol to use anywhere: 𝜋
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Select the symbols tab. It's the fifth tab in the character picker—look for the icon with 4 symbols. This opens a palette of different symbols.Advertisement
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Select the Language symbols tab. While you'd expect pi to be in the math symbols section, it's considered a language symbol in the Windows character picker.
- If you don't see this tab at the top of the window, click the right-pointing arrow at the window's top-right corner until the tab is visible.
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Click the 𝜋 to insert it. If you haven't already, click the place in your document or browser where you want to place the symbol, then click it in the character picker to insert it.
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Press the Num Lock key on your keyboard. If your keyboard has a 10-digit keypad on the right, you can type the pi symbol quickly using a special alt code. To get started, just press Num Lock , NmLk , or similar to activate the numeric keypad. If your Num Lock key shares function with another key, you may need to press Fn at the same time as the Num Lock key.
- if your keyboard doesn't have a numeric keypad , you may still have a hidden numeric keypad—look for numbers at the bottoms of the m, j, k, l, u, i, o, 7, 8, and 9 keys. If you see small numbers in the corners, this is your numeric keypad, and you can make those keys enter numbers by pressing the Num Lock key.
- If your Num Lock key shares function with another key, you may need to press Fn at the same time as the Num Lock key.
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Hold down the Alt key and type 2 2 7 . Make sure you're typing this code on the numeric keypad, not the numbered keys at the top of the keyboard. Once typed, you'll see the pi 𝜋 symbol where you typed.
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Open Gboard in any app. If you're using Gboard (the default keyboard on most Android phones and tablets), typing the pi symbol is easy.
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Tap the number pad key. It's the ?123 at the bottom-left corner.
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Tap the special characters key. It's the =/< at the bottom-left.
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Tap the π to insert it. You'll see it near the top of the symbol keyboard.
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Open the Settings app and tap General . You'll need to enable the Greek keyboard to type a pi symbol on your iPhone or iPad. General is in the third group of settings.
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Tap Keyboard . It's in the sixth group of settings.
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Tap Keyboards at the top. This displays the keyboards you've already installed.
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Tap Add New Keyboard and select Greek . Once selected, you'll return to your list of keyboards, where you'll now see "Greek" as an option.
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Open the keyboard in any app. Now that the Greek keyboard is enabled, typing a pi is easy.
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Tap the globe key on the keyboard until you see Greek letters. If you only have your standard language and the emoji keyboard installed, you'll just need to tap it twice.
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Tap the up-arrow to make the keyboard lowercase. Once you do this, you'll see the traditional pi symbol in the top row of Greek letters.
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Tap the π to insert it. Now that you've typed a pi symbol, tap the globe key again to return to your usual keyboard language.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I type it on a smart phone?Community AnswerFor an iPhone, go to the keyboard settings and add the Greek language keyboard. Now, when you're typing something, click the globe in the bottom left hand corner of the screen so the keyboard changes to Greek. The pi symbol will be shown on the virtual keyboard.
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QuestionHow can I type a pi symbol on an iPad?Community AnswerYou can add the Greek language on any iOS devices. Go to Settings, General, Keyboard, and Keyboard again. Then, select Add new keyboard and find Greek in the other iPhone languages. Then, when you need to type it, hold down the keyboard's globe icon and choose Greek. Finally, you'll see the pi symbol.
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QuestionHow do I type the Pi symbol on a laptop running Ubuntu without a number pad?Community AnswerThe easiest (but most tedious) way is to search Pi and see if you can copy and paste it to where you need it to be.
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Tips
- You can also use π to type π in a UTF-8 or HTML formatted document.Thanks
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About This Article
Article Summary
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To type the Pi symbol, open the character picker by pressing the Windows key and the period at the same time or by pressing control-command-spacebar, look under the Greek symbols, and click the Pi icon.
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