The square root symbol (√) is commonly used in math for equations, roots, and geometry. However, it’s not easy to type because most keyboards don’t have a specific key for it. If you’re wondering how to insert the square root symbol on your keyboard, here’s a simple guide for how to type square root on any device or operating system. Let’s explore!
Using Square Root on the Windows Operating system
One way to insert the square root symbol is to use it with the Alt key. The following steps are useful on the Windows system and Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Notepad and you can even use it on the browsers. The steps to use the ‘Alt’ key are:
- Check if the Num lock key is on
- Now you need to press and hold the ‘Alt’ key
- Keep pressing the ‘Alt’ key and press 251 on the numeric keypad. (make sure to press these numbers on the keypad and not the numbers written above the alphabet keys)
- Next, release the ‘Alt’ key and you will see the square root symbol appear on your screen.
The second method useful for Windows users is to utilize the built-in character map. The map includes all types of symbols and characters. Here is what you need to do:
- On your desktop, click on the ‘Start’ menu
- Search ‘Character Map’ and open it
- Then either you can scroll down the list of symbols and special characters to find the square root or you can search the symbol
- Select the symbol and click ‘Copy’
- Paste the symbol in the document where you wish to insert it.
It is important to note that this method is useful if you do not have a numeric keypad on your keyboard.
Inserting the Square Root on Mac OS
Finding and inserting square root or any other character/symbol on a Mac operating system is easier than on Windows. Let’s explore how you can insert the symbol using this system:
One way is to use the keyboard shortcut. This method works on pages, safari and TextEdit applications. Here are the steps to do that:
- Click on the ‘Option’ key on the keyboard or ‘Alt’ with a combination of ‘V’
- The square root symbol will appear on your screen
If you are not comfortable using the keyboard shortcut for this purpose, you can use the ‘Character Viewer’ to insert the square root symbol. Here is what you would do:
- Click on the APPLE icon on your screen’s top left corner
- Select ‘System Preferences’
- Go to the Keyboard option and then ‘Show keyboard and emoji viewers in menu bar’
- From here, click the ‘keyboard viewer’ icon and then select the ‘Show emoji and Symbols’ option
- You can either scroll to find or just search the square root symbol
- Once you find it, click on the symbol and then insert it into the document
Using the Linux Operating System to Insert the Square Root Symbol
Even though Linux is a complex operating system if you are using it and want to insert the square root symbol. Here is what you need to do.
- For the square root symbol on keyboard Ctrl + Shift + U
- Now type the Unicode for the square root symbol which is 221A
- Now press ‘Enter’ or ‘Space’
- You would be able to see the symbol on the screen.
Using the Square Root Symbol Using a Mobile Device
There are different methods for both iOS and Android users. Let’s look at each of them one by one;
*iOS Users
You would not be able to access the square root symbol on the iOS keyboard directly so you would have to find it using the text shortcuts. Here are the steps:
- Go to ‘Settings’ on your phone then click ‘General’, go to ‘Keyboard’ and then ‘Text Replacement’
- Tap on the plus sign to create a new shortcut
- In the field where you need to enter a phrase, copy the symbol from somewhere else and paste it
- Now, in the shortcut field, enter a short name for the square root
- Whenever you wish to use the square root, just type the short name and the symbol will appear.
Also Learn: How to activate eSIM on iPhone?
*Android Users
Android devices also do not have the symbol directly, here is what you need to do:
- Install a keyboard app on your device if it is not available
- Open the Google Docs application or you can even open the messages
- Tap and hold ‘.’ Key to access the special characters
- Find the square root symbol in the list of characters
- Now tap on it to insert the symbol into your document.
So, you would not find the square root symbol directly accessible on your keyboard, no matter which operating system you use. There might be other methods but to start off, above mentioned are a few ways you can use to insert the square root symbol in your document.
Related Frequently Asked Questions:
How to Do Square Root on Computer?
To type the square root symbol (√) on a computer:
Windows: Press Alt + 251 (using the numeric keypad).
Mac: Press Option + V.
Copy-Paste: Simply copy √ from here!
How to Do Square Root Symbol on Keyboard Phone?
To type the square root symbol on the keyboard phone:
Open the keyboard of your phone.
Go to the Symbols or Special Characters section.
Look for the square root symbol (√) and tap it.
What Is the Square Root Sign on Keyboard?
The square root sign on the keyboard is √.