Check Mark Alt Codes & Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows & Mac)

Updated October 2026 · 2 min read

Let us start with the honest part nobody tells you: there is no single Alt code that drops a perfect ✓ into every Windows app. Alt codes interact with fonts, which is why the same code gives a tick in one program and "ü" in another. This page lists every method, where each one actually works, and what to do when it does not — starting with the option that never fails.

The method that always works — copy and paste

Click a symbol on our Checkmark Symbols page (✓ ✔ ☑ ✅ ❌) and paste it anywhere. Pasting bypasses every font and keypad quirk on this page, works on laptops without number pads, phones and Chromebooks, and the symbol is standard Unicode so it displays correctly for everyone who receives it. Everything below is for people who specifically want to type it.

Windows Alt codes — the real table

Hold Alt and type the number on the numeric keypad (number row does not count), with Num Lock on:

• Alt+0252 → ü, which becomes ✓ when the font is set to Wingdings. This is "the" classic tick Alt code — it is really a Wingdings code, not a universal tick.
• Alt+0254 → þ, which becomes a boxed tick in Wingdings.
• Alt+10003 and other 5-digit codes → unreliable: codes above 255 overflow in most Windows apps, which is why people report getting random characters. Do not trust tutorials that promise Alt+10003 as a general method.

So on Windows the dependable keyboard routes are: Wingdings Alt codes inside Office documents, the Alt+X trick below inside Word, or Character Map everywhere else.

Word for Windows — 2713 + Alt+X

Inside Microsoft Word, type 2713 and press Alt+X: the code converts in place to ✓. 2714 gives ✔, 2611 gives ☑, 2718 gives ✘. This is the cleanest keyboard method that exists on Windows — no fonts to change, no keypad needed — but it is Word-only (and Outlook's Word-based editor). Full Word coverage in our check mark in Word guide.

Character Map — the built-in picker

Press Windows+R, type charmap, Enter. Set the font to Segoe UI Symbol, scroll to the check marks (or search "check" with Advanced view), double-click ✓, then Copy and paste wherever you need it. Slow, but it works in every Windows program ever made.

Mac shortcuts

Option+V types √ — fast, and fine for informal lists, but be aware it is technically the square-root sign, not a check mark. For a true ✓: open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space, search "check", and double-click the ✓ (2713) or ✔ (2714). In Word for Mac, Insert → Advanced Symbol has the same symbols. Macs have no Alt-code system like Windows — the Character Viewer is the equivalent.

HTML and CSS codes (for developers)

On the web, paste the character directly or use entities: ✓ or ✓ → ✓, ✔ → ✔, ☑ → ☑, ✖ → ✘. In CSS content: content: "\2713";. Our URL Encoder / Decoder tool — which also encodes and decodes HTML entities — converts characters and codes both ways when you need a batch of them.

Linux and Chromebook

On Linux, press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2713, then Enter — the Unicode entry method works in most desktop apps. On a Chromebook there is no Alt-code equivalent; copy-paste, or the same Ctrl+Shift+U trick in Linux-enabled apps, are your options.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my Alt code produce "ü" or a weird character?

Because Alt+0252 really is "ü" — it only becomes a tick after you set the font to Wingdings. If you cannot change the font (a web form, a chat box), use copy-paste instead.

Alt codes do nothing on my laptop. Why?

Alt codes require a real numeric keypad with Num Lock on. Most laptops hide the keypad behind the Fn key (look for small numbers on the U/I/O keys), and some have none at all — in that case use Alt+X in Word, Character Map, or copy-paste.

What is the Alt code for a check mark, in one line?

Alt+0252 with the Wingdings font — inside Office. Everywhere else, the honest answer is: there is not a universal one; paste the symbol or use your app's method from the sections above.

Is √ (Option+V on Mac) acceptable as a check mark?

In messages and personal lists, everyone reads it as a tick. In documents, forms or anything client-facing, use a real ✓ (2713) — the two glyphs differ and the wrong one can look unprofessional.