How to type @ on Windows
The commercial at symbol has no short Alt code. The quickest option is to copy it from the top of this page and paste it with Ctrl+V.
No numeric keypad?
Press Win+. to open the emoji panel, choose the Symbols tab (Ω) and search for "commercial at". Or open Character Map from the Start menu, find @, click Select, then Copy.
How to type @ on a Mac
There is no direct keyboard shortcut for @ on a Mac.
For any symbol, the Character Viewer works: press Control+⌘+Space, type "commercial at" in the search box and double-click the result. It will be remembered under Frequently Used.
How to type @ on iPhone and iPad
The iOS keyboard does not include @, so the reliable way is to copy it from this page, then press and hold in any text field and tap Paste.
If you use it often, create a shortcut: open Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement, paste @ in the Phrase field and type a short code such as ;commercial in the Shortcut field. Typing that code will then insert @ anywhere.
How to type @ on Android
Copy the symbol from this page, then long-press in a text field and choose Paste. Gboard also keeps a clipboard history: tap the clipboard icon on the toolbar to paste it again later.
For a permanent shortcut, open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary, add @ as the word and a short code as the shortcut.
How to type @ in Microsoft Word
- Type the Unicode hex code 0040 where you want the symbol.
- Press Alt+X. Word converts the code into @.
This works on Windows in Word, Outlook and OneNote and needs no numeric keypad. You can also go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set the font to a Unicode font and type 0040 in the Character code box. In Excel, the formula =UNICHAR(64) returns the symbol.
How to type @ in Google Docs
Open Insert → Special characters, then either search for "commercial at" or draw the symbol in the sketch box. Click the result to insert it. In Google Sheets, use =CHAR(64).
@ in HTML, CSS and code
| Format | Code |
|---|---|
| HTML entity | @ |
| HTML decimal | @ |
| HTML hex | @ |
CSS content | "\0040" |
| JavaScript | "\u0040" |
| Python | "\u0040" |
| URL encoded | %40 |
Because @ is a standard Unicode character (U+0040), you can also paste it directly into any UTF-8 file. The escaped forms above are only needed when the file encoding is uncertain or the symbol must be entered on a keyboard without it.
Where the commercial at symbol is used
It is used in email addresses like '[email protected]' and in social media handles such as '@nasa' to tag or mention someone. It also appears in some programming languages for decorators or annotations.
Frequently asked questions
What does @ mean in an email address? +
It separates the user's mailbox name from the domain that hosts it, showing where the message should be delivered, as in '[email protected]'.
Why is @ called the at sign? +
It historically represented the word 'at' in commercial and accounting records, indicating a unit price, such as '3 apples @ $1 each'.
What is the Alt code for the commercial at symbol? +
The commercial at symbol has no short Alt code. Copy it from this page, or in Word type 0040 and press Alt + X.
How do I type @ on a Mac? +
There is no dedicated Mac shortcut for @. Open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search for "commercial at", and double-click it. Or copy it from this page.
How do I type the commercial at symbol on iPhone or Android? +
Phone keyboards do not include @ by default. Copy it from this page and paste it, or add it as a text replacement shortcut in Settings so you can type it with a short abbreviation.
What is the HTML code for @? +
Use @ in HTML. The numeric form @ works too. In CSS use content: "\0040" and in JavaScript use "\u0040".