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Type a Bullet Point: Shortcuts for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Mobile

Find the right way to type or insert • on Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile, with clear limits for app-specific and layout-specific shortcuts.
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To type the bullet character •, use the method that matches your device and app: Windows Word supports 2022 followed by Alt+X, macOS users with a US keyboard layout can try Option+8, and GNOME or other GTK Linux desktops support Ctrl+Shift+U, then 2022 and Space or Enter. These shortcuts are not universal. If one does not work, use the operating system’s character picker or the app’s symbol feature.

First decide: a bullet character or a bulleted list?

The symbol • is a character you can insert into a line of text. A bulleted list is formatting managed by an editor: it handles indentation, separate list items, and continuation when text wraps. If you need a real list, use the editor’s bulleted-list control instead of inserting a dot manually.

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In Microsoft Word, for example, typing an asterisk (*) at the start of a new line and pressing Space can start a formatted bulleted list. That creates list formatting; it does not simply type a standalone bullet character. Microsoft’s instructions for creating lists in Word describe this behavior.

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How to type • on Windows

In Word or another app that supports Alt+X

  1. Type 2022 where you want the bullet.
  2. Press Alt+X. In a supporting app, the code changes to •.

This is hexadecimal Unicode input for U+2022. It is app-specific, not a Windows-wide shortcut: Unicode names Word and Outlook as examples, and Microsoft documents the method for Word. Unicode’s character-entry guidance and Microsoft’s Word shortcut reference explain the limits and method. Microsoft notes that its Word shortcuts refer to the US keyboard layout.

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With Character Map

When the target app does not support Alt+X, use Windows Character Map: find the bullet, select it, copy it, then paste it into the target field. This avoids relying on a shortcut that may vary by application.

What about Alt+0149?

Some secondary guides report entering Alt+0149 with a numeric keypad and Num Lock enabled. Treat it as keyboard- and application-dependent rather than a guaranteed Windows shortcut; the cited Unicode guidance does not establish Alt+0149 as a Windows-wide method for this character.

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How to type • on macOS

Try Option+8 on a US keyboard layout

A secondary guide reports that Option+8 inserts • on a US keyboard layout. Keyboard layouts matter, so if this produces another character or nothing, use Character Viewer instead.

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Use Character Viewer or Unicode Hex Input

To choose the character visually, open Edit > Emoji & Symbols or choose Character Viewer from the Input menu, then search for and insert the bullet. Unicode also documents a hexadecimal-entry option: add Unicode Hex Input in Keyboard settings, switch to that input source, hold Option, and type the character’s hexadecimal code, 2022. Unicode documents these methods but not the Option+8 shortcut. Unicode’s character-entry guidance has the details.

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How to type • on Linux

GNOME and other GTK desktops

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+U, then release the keys.
  2. Type 2022.
  3. Press Space or Enter to insert •.

This documented sequence applies to GNOME and other GTK environments, not every Linux desktop. Unicode’s guidance says KDE and other Qt environments do not have an equivalent function in the guidance it describes. For visual selection, use GNOME Character Map or KCharSelect on KDE. Unicode’s character-entry guidance covers the environment distinction.

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How to insert • on iPhone, iPad, and Android

Unicode reports no official hexadecimal character-entry method on iOS or Android, and these platforms do not include the same kind of character-selection application found on desktop systems. Third-party keyboards with hexadecimal functionality exist, but the available options vary.

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For a standalone bullet, copy • from here and paste it where needed, or use the app’s symbol feature if it has one. For an actual list in a document app, choose that app’s bulleted-list formatting control; mobile keyboard behavior for typing a lone bullet varies by keyboard and app. Unicode’s guidance on character entry describes the mobile limitation.

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Quick Recap

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Which method should you use?

Device or environment Method Important qualification
Windows 2022, then Alt+X Only in apps that support it, such as Word; not universal to Windows.
Windows fallback Find and copy the symbol in Character Map Use when the target app does not handle Alt+X.
macOS, US keyboard layout Option+8 Reported by a secondary guide; use Character Viewer if it does not work.
macOS, Unicode Hex Input enabled Hold Option and type 2022 Requires adding and switching to the Unicode Hex Input source.
GNOME or GTK Linux desktop Ctrl+Shift+U, 2022, then Space or Enter Not a universal Linux shortcut; KDE users can open KCharSelect.
iPhone, iPad, or Android Copy and paste, or use an app’s symbol feature There is no official built-in hexadecimal entry method identified by Unicode.

Why a shortcut may not work

  • The app does not support it: Alt+X is application-specific, so use Character Map or an in-app symbol picker.
  • The keyboard layout differs: Option+8 is reported for the US layout; try Character Viewer on another layout.
  • The desktop environment differs: Ctrl+Shift+U is documented for GNOME and GTK, not all Linux desktops.
  • You need formatting, not a character: Use the editor’s list control so indentation and list behavior work properly.

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