How to type Alt+0172
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- Type 0172 on the numeric keypad. The number row above the letters will not work.
- Release Alt. The not sign symbol ¬ appears.
The leading zero matters. Alt+0172 uses the Windows-1252 code page. Without the zero, Alt+170 on the classic CP437 table also gives ¬, but that is a coincidence of the two tables rather than the rule, so learn the four-digit version.
On a laptop without a numpad
Press Win+. to open the emoji panel, pick the Symbols tab and search for "not sign". Or open Character Map from the Start menu. In Microsoft Word you can type 00AC followed by Alt+X. Some laptops have a hidden numpad on the J, K, L, U, I and O keys that activates with Fn.
On a Mac
Alt codes do not exist on macOS, but this symbol has a shortcut: press Option+L.
In HTML and code
Use ¬ in HTML, "\00AC" in CSS and "\u00AC" in JavaScript. See the Not Sign guide for every platform.
Frequently asked questions
What does Alt+0172 type?+
Alt+0172 types the not sign symbol, ¬ (Unicode U+00AC). Hold Alt, type 0172 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
Why do I need the leading zero?+
Alt+0172 uses the Windows-1252 code page, which is selected by the leading zero. Without the zero, Windows reads the CP437 table and may type a different character.
Alt+0172 does not work. Why?+
Check that Num Lock is on and that you are using the numeric keypad rather than the number row. Laptops without a numpad cannot enter Alt codes: use Win + . for the symbol panel, Character Map, or copy the symbol from this page.
How do I type ¬ on a Mac?+
Press Option+L on a Mac. Alt codes themselves do not work on macOS.