Special CharactersAdding a special character when typing can be a nuisance for many but there are a few ways to easy find them. Most European keyboards comes equipped with labels on the keys themselves.
Windows OSThere are several ways to fetch a special character for Windows. I'll list the two ways I usually use, which have proven to work like a charm.
1. Alt CodesUsing alt codes is easy and simple, even if you do not know the code in your head.
You can look up the codes online here:
http://altcod.es/all-alt-code-symbolsThe code is 4-digit (for easy reference) but you can skip the zero(s) if the number is below 1000. Ex: Dollar sign $ has the alt code 36 so you can input 0036 or simply 36.
To type in a special character using alt codes simply
hold down the Alt key and while keeping it down press the numbers and release the Alt key.
You will not notice anything until you actually release the Alt key.
Example: Typing in the Dollar sign you would hold down the Alt key and press 36 and then release the Alt key.
2. Character MapCharacter Map is a free program / app that comes installed on nearly all Windows versions by default. Depending on the version you have, you can access this under respective Accessories menu.
For Windows 10: Start menu -- All apps -- W -- Windows Accessories -- Character Map
Tip: If you are using this a lot, pin it to the start menu.Mac usersMac has a similar way of accessing the special characters, like Character Map for Windows. It's called Character Viewer (formerly Character Palette).
This can be found under Apple menu -- System Preferences -- Keyboard
For more on this check out this neat little guide:
http://symbolcodes.tlt.psu.edu/keyboards/charpalosx.htmlAndroid and other devicesDefault settings on most of these devices should be sufficient. When typing a text message or inside a browser or other apps, there is a button you can press to open up a special character list. Most characters can also be accessed by it's native character. Pressing and holding down
e for example will pop up a list of variants such as
é, è, ê etc. and while keeping the finger down move to the desired character and then let go.
This does not list all the characters but you can download apps that will add the rest and even other languages such as Arabic, Persian, Chinese etc. A good, free and even ad free at that is AnySoft Keyboard. Once installed you can then download any language pack for usage on any other app you use for character input. And it's easy to switch between the languages!
My mother uses this app to communicate with relatives around the world that types in Arabic. Gotta love technology!IMPORTANT: Most special characters will limit your
text messange size from 160 characters down to 70 due to the encoding type required. That's 3x time the cost (typing more than 140 characters) if you can't message for free.
That's all there is to it! Hope this will help you as much as it has helped me for the past 2 decades.
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August 01, 2020, 08:32:19 PM