Open Windows Character Map (Special Characters)

This tool opens the Windows Character Map, a built-in utility that lets you browse and copy special characters from any installed font.

You can use this to:

• Browse and copy characters from system fonts like Wingdings, Webdings, or Symbol
• Search by character name (e.g., "degree", "bullet", "section")
• Find and copy Unicode characters using their code
• Use special symbols in applications outside Excel (e.g., email, websites, or design tools)

You can copy one or multiple characters to the clipboard, then paste them wherever needed.

Tip:
For quickly inserting common symbols (like ©, €, °, →) directly into a cell, Excel's Insert > Symbol feature may be easier. It shows recently used symbols and lets you insert with a double-click.

Also useful:
If you're using Windows 10 or later, you can press Windows key + . (period) to open the emoji and symbol picker. It includes emojis, math symbols, currency symbols, and more.

Note:
If you use a character from a different font (e.g., Wingdings), make sure to apply the same font in the Excel cell so the symbol displays correctly.

Starting this tool

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Tip:Alt+P for the previous tool.