★ ☆ * How to Type Star Symbols on Keyboard (Windows, Mac, Word, Excel, iPhone)

There isn’t just one “star symbol.”

* is the keyboard star (it’s really called an asterisk).
★ and ☆ are star symbols (used for ratings, lists, reviews, and decorations).
⭐ is an emoji, so it can look different on different devices.

Examples: * ★ ⭐

Below are different variations of star symbols you can copy and paste wherever you want.

Star Symbols (Click to Copy)

Click a star to copy it. Then paste anywhere.

Core / Rating Stars

Most common “star symbol” intent: ★ / ☆ and quick rating rows.

Keyboard Star (Asterisk) & Asterisk Variations

These look “star-like” but many are asterisk/operator symbols used in text and math.

Emoji Stars

Emoji style may look different on different devices.

Decorative Stars

Great for headings, separators, and fancy text.

Tip: If a symbol shows as a box ☐, switch to a common font (Arial, Calibri, Segoe UI Symbol).

Table of Contents

1-Minute Answer: Fastest ways to type star symbols

Keyboard star (asterisk) *:
On most US keyboards, press Shift + 8 → *
(If yours is different, look for * printed on a key and hold Shift.)
Copy/paste (fastest for symbols): ★ ☆ ⭐ 🌟 ✨
Microsoft Word / PowerPoint:
Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → search or find stars.
Windows (any app):
Use Character Map to copy ★ ☆ ✦ ✧ and paste anywhere.
Mac (any app):
Open Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) → search star.
Google Docs:
Insert → Special characters → search star, black star, white star.

Quick Reference: most-used star symbols

Tip: Use * when you mean “asterisk.” Use ★/☆ for ratings. Use ⭐/🌟/✨ when you want emoji style.

Symbol	Name (simple)	Best way (Windows)	Best way (Mac)
*	Asterisk (keyboard star)	Shift + 8 (most keyboards)	Shift + 8 (most keyboards)
★	Black star (filled rating star)	Copy/paste or Character Map	Character Viewer search “black star”
☆	White star (empty rating star)	Copy/paste or Character Map	Character Viewer search “white star”
⭐	Star emoji	Emoji panel (Win + .)	Emoji/Character Viewer search “star”
🌟	Glowing star emoji	Emoji panel (Win + .)	Emoji/Character Viewer search “glowing star”
✨	Sparkles emoji	Emoji panel (Win + .)	Emoji/Character Viewer search “sparkles”
✦	Black four pointed star	Copy/paste or Character Map	Character Viewer search “four pointed star”
✧	White four pointed star	Copy/paste or Character Map	Character Viewer search “white four pointed star”

A) How to type the keyboard star (*) (asterisk) — Windows + Mac

Method 1: Use the keyboard shortcut

On most US keyboards: Shift + 8 → *

If your keyboard is different

Look closely at your keys. Find where * is printed.
Hold Shift, then press that key.

On iPhone / Android

Open your keyboard
Tap 123 or ?123
Look for * on the symbols page

B) How to type ★ and ☆ on Windows

Method 1 (fastest): Copy and paste

Copy: ★ or ☆
Paste with Ctrl + V

Method 2: Character Map (works system-wide)

Click Start
Search Character Map and open it
Check Advanced view (if you see it)
Search star (or scroll)
Click ★ or ☆, click Select, then Copy
Paste into your document

Method 3: Insert Symbol (Word / PowerPoint)

If you’re working inside Word or PowerPoint, use Insert → Symbol (steps below in the Word section).

Important note about “Alt codes” for stars:
Some websites list Alt codes for ★ and ☆, but they don’t work on every Windows keyboard/app (especially on laptops). For reliable results, use Character Map, Insert Symbol, or Word’s Alt+X method.

C) How to type ★ and ☆ on Mac

Method 1: Character Viewer (best)

Press Control + Command + Space
In the search box, type:
- black star (★)
- white star (☆)
- or just star
Double-click the symbol to insert it

Method 2: Copy and paste

Copy ★ or ☆, then paste anywhere.

D) How to insert star symbols in Microsoft Word (Windows + Mac)

Method 1: Insert → Symbol (best for beginners)

Open Word and click where you want the star
Go to Insert
Click Symbol
Choose More Symbols
Find ★ or ☆ (try fonts like Segoe UI Symbol)
Click Insert

Font tip: Some fonts show more star options than others. If you don’t see stars, try changing the Font dropdown.

Method 2 (Windows Word): Unicode + Alt+X (very reliable)

This works in Microsoft Word on Windows.

Type the Unicode value (no spaces)
Press Alt + X
Word converts it into the symbol

Examples:

Type 2605 then Alt + X → ★
Type 2606 then Alt + X → ☆
Type 2726 then Alt + X → ✦
Type 2727 then Alt + X → ✧

Quick rating stars in Word

Copy and paste:

★★★★★
☆☆☆☆☆

E) Stars in Excel (and Google Sheets)

1) Star ratings (★★★★★)

Fastest: copy/paste ★★★★★ into a cell.

2) Useful formulas (simple and powerful)

Make one star

=UNICHAR(9733) → ★
=UNICHAR(9734) → ☆

Make 5 stars automatically

=REPT(UNICHAR(9733),5) → ★★★★★
=REPT(UNICHAR(9734),5) → ☆☆☆☆☆

3) Quick note: * in Excel also means something else

In Excel, the asterisk * is also used as a wildcard in some places (like filters or Find).
Think of it as: “match anything”.

Example idea: searching star* can match star, stars, starring, etc.

F) PowerPoint (short)

Fastest: copy/paste ★ ☆ ⭐
Or: Insert → Symbol and choose a symbol font (like Segoe UI Symbol)

G) Google Docs (short)

Go to Insert → Special characters
Search:
- star
- black star
- white star
Click the symbol to insert it

H) iPhone + Android (short)

Emoji stars

Use the emoji keyboard: ⭐ 🌟 ✨

For ★ and ☆

Many mobile keyboards don’t show ★/☆ directly. Best options:

Copy/paste from this page
Use a special character search (depends on keyboard app)

I) Chromebook (short)

Best methods:

Copy/paste ★ ☆ ⭐
In Google Docs: Insert → Special characters → search star

Which star do you need?

If you mean the keyboard star: * (asterisk)
If you want a rating star: ★ (filled) and ☆ (empty)
If you want an emoji star: ⭐ or 🌟 (looks different on different devices)

Troubleshooting

“I typed * but wanted ★”

That’s normal.

* = asterisk (keyboard character)
★ = star symbol (rating/decorative)

Use copy/paste, Insert Symbol, Character Map, or Character Viewer to get ★.

The star shows as a box ☐

Your font doesn’t support that character.

Switch to a common font like Arial, Calibri, or Segoe UI Symbol.

It looks different on different devices

Emoji stars (⭐ 🌟 ✨) change style across devices.
Symbol stars (★ ☆ ✦ ✧) are usually more consistent.

FAQ

How do I type a star symbol on my keyboard?

Use Shift + 8 on most US keyboards to type * (asterisk).

What’s the difference between * and ★?

* is an asterisk (keyboard character)
★ is a star symbol (used for ratings and decoration)

How do I type ★ and ☆ in Word?

Use Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, or in Word (Windows) type:

2605 then Alt + X → ★
2606 then Alt + X → ☆

How do I make star ratings in Excel?

Use:

=REPT(UNICHAR(9733),5) for ★★★★★
=REPT(UNICHAR(9734),5) for ☆☆☆☆☆

How do I type ⭐ on iPhone/Android?

Open the emoji keyboard and search star. Use ⭐ 🌟 ✨.

Quick recap

* (asterisk) = keyboard star (usually Shift + 8)
★ / ☆ = rating stars (best via copy/paste or Insert Symbol)
⭐ / 🌟 / ✨ = emoji stars (best via emoji keyboard)
For Windows: Character Map is a reliable backup
For Mac: Character Viewer (Ctrl + Cmd + Space) is the easiest