How to create a hashtag on Mac (#)

The pound sign (which looks like #) was a niche special character, rarely used until the arrival of Twitter/X and Instagram. Now you can barely avoid the symbol widely known as a hashtag and omnipresent on social media. The PC keyboard has a dedicated hash key. But how do you type a hash symbol or […]

News Mar 8, 2024 84 Add to Reading List

The pound sign (which looks like #) was a niche special character, rarely used until the arrival of Twitter/X and Instagram. Now you can barely avoid the symbol widely known as a hashtag and omnipresent on social media.

The PC keyboard has a dedicated hash key. But how do you type a hash symbol or hashtag on a Mac? Well, it depends on your keyboard layout. For readers using the standard American layout, this is pretty straightforward, and we’ll cover these types later in this article. But we’ll mainly focus on the UK, where things are a little trickier.

how to type a hashtag sign (#) in the UK

Let’s not joke. To enter a hashtag on a Mac keyboard with a UK layout, press Option + 3.

On modern editions of this keyboard layout, you’ll see the # symbol on the 3 key, but instead of appearing above the 3, which would tell you to press the Shift key, it’s hidden to the right. This means you should use Option. (By the way, the Option key is sometimes called Alt.)

UK keyboards need to relegate the # to the Option slot of number 3, because we need the Shift slot for our glorious British sterling sign.

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However, on some older keyboards, you will find that the number 3 key only has the pound sign. Don’t be discouraged: pressing Option + 3 will still work on such keyboards. It’s just that at that time the pound sign was not considered such an important character. (You may also find that your old Mac keyboard labels the Option key as Alt.)

Want to update your keyboard? Take a look at our detailed buying guide to the best Mac keyboards and you’ll soon have access to correctly labeled option and hash keys.

how to type a hashtag sign (#) in the United States

If you’re using a Mac with a US keyboard layout, things are simpler. To enter a hashtag sign, tap Shift + 3.

Because US readers need the pound sign less, the pound sign is charged more: it is the secondary option for the 3 key. (On UK keyboards, as we’ve seen, typing Shift + 3 would give you £.)