How to type Alt+172
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- Type 172 on the numeric keypad. The number row above the letters will not work.
- Release Alt. The one quarter symbol ¼ appears.
Alt+172 is a classic code from the CP437 table used by the original IBM PC, which is why there is no leading zero. The same symbol is also available as Alt+0188 on the Windows-1252 table.
On a laptop without a numpad
Press Win+. to open the emoji panel, pick the Symbols tab and search for "one quarter". Or open Character Map from the Start menu. In Microsoft Word you can type 00BC 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 and this symbol has no dedicated shortcut. Open the Character Viewer with Control+⌘+Space, search for "one quarter" and double-click it.
In HTML and code
Use ¼ in HTML, "\00BC" in CSS and "\u00BC" in JavaScript. See the One Quarter Symbol guide for every platform.
Frequently asked questions
What does Alt+172 type?+
Alt+172 types the one quarter symbol, ¼ (Unicode U+00BC). Hold Alt, type 172 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
Why do I need the code without a zero?+
Alt+172 is a classic CP437 code from the original IBM PC character set. It has no leading zero. The same symbol can also be typed as Alt+0188 on the Windows-1252 table.
Alt+172 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 ¼ on a Mac?+
Alt codes do not work on macOS. Open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search for "one quarter", and double-click the symbol, or copy it from this page.