How to Type the Thumbs Up Symbol (👍) on Your Keyboard (Word + Excel)

If you searched for “thumbs up symbol”, you might mean two different things:

👍 Thumbs Up emoji (this is what most people want)
A thumbs up “symbol” from a font like Wingdings (it can look like a thumbs up, but it’s not the emoji)

This guide covers both, starting with the fastest and most reliable methods—especially for Microsoft Word.

Works everywhere? Emoji support depends on the app and font. If a thumbs up shows as a blank box or looks weird, use copy/paste, an emoji picker, or the Wingdings symbol method in Word/Office.

Table of Contents

1-Minute Answer (fastest ways)

Copy/paste (works almost everywhere):

Two “thumbs up” types

Emoji is a real character. Wingdings changes if the font changes.

Wingdings thumbs up (Word/Office font symbol)

In Word: Insert – Symbol – More Symbols – Font: Wingdings – Character code: 0043. This copies the underlying character: C.

Microsoft Word (fast, Word-only): type 1F44D then press Alt + X
Windows (best in Word): hold Alt and type 128077 (numeric keypad)
Mac: press Control + Command + Space, search thumbs up, click 👍
iPhone/Android: open the emoji keyboard → tap 👍

If a shortcut inserts the wrong character, use copy/paste or the emoji picker instead.

Quick Reference (Word vs Windows vs Mac)

What you want	Looks like	Best on Windows	Best on Mac	Best in Word	Notes
Thumbs up emoji	👍	Copy/paste 👍 (or emoji picker)	Character Viewer (Ctrl+Cmd+Space)	Copy/paste 👍	Emoji style can vary by device/app
Word-only code method	👍	—	—	Type 1F44D → Alt+X	Works inside Word (not most other apps)
Alt code method	👍 (in Word)	Hold Alt → type 128077 (numpad)	—	Alt+128077	Can be app-dependent; may insert the wrong character outside Word
Wingdings “thumbs up”	(font symbol)	Insert → Symbol → Wingdings → 0043	Same idea (Symbol dialog)	Insert → Symbol → Wingdings → 0043	Not the emoji. Depends on the Wingdings font

Step-by-step: How to insert a thumbs up (every platform)

A) Windows (beginner-friendly)

Method 1: Copy and paste 👍 (most reliable)

Copy this thumbs up: 👍
Paste it where you want:
- Ctrl + V to paste
- (Optional) Ctrl + C to copy

This works in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs, emails, and most websites.

Method 2: Alt code in Microsoft Word (Alt + 128077)

This method usually works best inside Word (and sometimes other Office apps).

Click where you want the thumbs up.
Turn Num Lock ON.
Hold down the Alt key.
On the numeric keypad, type 128077.
Release Alt.

Important notes (so it doesn’t fail):

You must type the numbers using the numeric keypad (not the number row above the letters).
On many laptops, there’s no real keypad. Some laptops have a hidden keypad you can turn on (often Fn + NmLk). If you can’t find it, use copy/paste instead.
If you get M or another wrong character, use the fixes in the Troubleshooting section below.

Method 3 (optional): Windows emoji picker

Many Windows PCs let you open the emoji picker with Win + . (Windows key + period).
If it doesn’t open on your PC, use copy/paste (Method 1) as the sure option.

B) Mac (Character Viewer)

Click where you want the emoji.
Press Control + Command + Space.
Search for thumbs up.
Click 👍 to insert it.

Optional: Add it to Favorites so it’s faster next time.

C) Microsoft Word (strongest section)

Method 1 (fastest in Word): 1F44D then Alt + X

Click where you want 👍.
Type: 1F44D
Press Alt + X

Word converts that code into the thumbs up emoji.

Note: This is a Word-only trick. It won’t work in most other apps.

Method 2: Insert the Wingdings thumbs up symbol (0043)

Use this if you want a “text-like” thumbs up from a font.

Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.
In Font, choose Wingdings.
In Character code, type 0043.
Click Insert.

Important: This is not 👍. It’s a Wingdings font symbol. If you change the font later (or open the document on a device without that font), it may change or disappear.

Method 3: Copy/paste 👍

If you want the simplest, most reliable option: copy 👍 and paste into Word.

D) Excel

Best option: copy/paste 👍 into a cell.
If you need the Wingdings version:
1. Go to Insert → Symbol.
2. Choose Wingdings.
3. Type 0043 in Character code.
4. Click Insert.

Note: Emoji display in Excel can depend on your Windows/Mac version and the font used in the sheet.

E) PowerPoint

Best option: copy/paste 👍 into your text box.
Or use Insert → Symbol and choose Wingdings (code 0043) if you want the font symbol.

F) Google Docs + Google Sheets

Best option: copy/paste 👍
In Google Docs, you can also try Insert → Special characters and search for “thumbs up” (the wording and options can vary). If you don’t see it, copy/paste is the sure method.
In Google Sheets, copy/paste works as text in a cell.

G) iPhone + Android

Open your emoji keyboard (the smiley/emoji key).
Search thumb (if your keyboard has search), or scroll.
Tap 👍.

H) Chromebook (quick)

Best option: copy/paste 👍
Some Chromebooks also have an emoji picker (it varies by device/settings). If you can’t find it, copy/paste is still the fastest reliable method.

Which thumbs up should you use?

Use 👍 (emoji) if you want a real thumbs up for messages, modern documents, and anything that should look normal on phones.
Use the Wingdings thumbs up (0043) if you specifically want a font-based symbol for a certain document style (but remember: it depends on the Wingdings font and may change if the font changes).

Troubleshooting (common problems)

“Alt + 128077 gives me M (or another wrong character)”

This is common because the Alt code can be app-dependent.

Try this:

Make sure you’re typing the numbers on the numeric keypad.
Try it in Microsoft Word (it tends to work there more often).
If it still inserts the wrong character, use:
- Copy/paste 👍
- The Windows emoji picker (Win + .) if available
- Word: type 1F44D then Alt + X

“I don’t have a numeric keypad”

Use:

copy/paste 👍
Mac: Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space)
Word: type 1F44D → Alt + X

“It shows as a box □ or blank square”

That means the font/app/device can’t display the emoji.

Fixes:

Try a different font (in Word/Excel).
Use copy/paste 👍 again.
Or use the Wingdings symbol method (0043) in Word/Office.

“It looks different on someone else’s phone/computer”

Normal. Emoji designs vary by platform (Apple vs Google vs Microsoft). The meaning is the same.

FAQ

How do I type 👍 on Windows?

Fastest reliable: copy/paste 👍.
You can also try Win + . (emoji picker) if available.

How do I type 👍 in Word?

Best options:

Type 1F44D then press Alt + X
Or copy/paste 👍

What is the Alt code for 👍?

In Windows (best in Word): Alt + 128077 using the numeric keypad.
It may not work the same way in every app.

How do I insert thumbs up in Excel?

Copy/paste 👍 into a cell.
Or use Insert → Symbol → Wingdings → 0043 if you want the font symbol.

How do I type thumbs up on Mac?

Press Control + Command + Space, search thumbs up, then click 👍.

Why does the thumbs up look different on another phone/computer?

Emoji styles vary by device and app. That’s normal.

What’s the difference between 👍 and the Wingdings thumbs up?

👍 is an emoji character.
The Wingdings thumbs up is a font symbol (code 0043) that only looks correct when the Wingdings font is used.

Quick recap

Most reliable: copy/paste 👍
Best in Word: 1F44D → Alt+X
Windows (best in Word): Alt + 128077 (numeric keypad)
Font symbol option: Wingdings → 0043 (Insert Symbol)
If anything inserts the wrong character, use the emoji picker or copy/paste