Unfortunately, there are no direct ways to insert special characters in Google Sheets. There are a few workaround methods that you can use instead.
3 methods to insert special characters in Google Sheets
- Copy special characters from Google Docs
- Copy special characters from the internet
- Copy special characters from the Windows Character Map
Method 1: Copy special characters from Google Docs
Step 1: Create a Google Doc.
Go to your Google Drive account and create a new Google Doc. Right-click on the New icon and select Google Docs.
Step 2: Select Special characters.
In the main menu bar, tap on Insert and select Special characters.
Step 3: Choose a special character.
Selecting Special characters will open a dialog box with various options. Find the special character you want to insert in your sheet. For instance, choose the tick here.
Once you click on the character, you can see it in your Google Doc.
Step 4: Copy the special character.
Select the special character. Now, right-click and select Copy. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C.
Step 5: Paste the special character in Google Sheets.
Now, go to your Google Sheet and paste the special character in the appropriate cell. You can do this by right-clicking and selecting Paste. Alternatively, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+V.
Method 2: Copy special characters from the internet
Step 1: Search for a special character on the internet.
Google a special character on the internet. For instance, let’s search for the special character circle on the internet.
Step 2: Copy the special character.
From the results, choose the character you want to insert. Select it and copy the special character. You can do this by right-clicking and selecting Copy. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C.
Step 3: Paste the special character in Google Sheets.
Now, go to your Google Sheet to paste the copied special character. You can do this by right-clicking and selecting Paste. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+V.
Method 3: Copy special characters from the Windows Character Map
You can use this method if you’re a Windows user.
Step 1: Launch the Character Map application.
Search for Character Map. Select the app to launch it.
You’ll see a dialog box with various special characters once you’ve launched it.
Step 2: Pick and copy a special character.
From the options, choose your desired special character. For instance, let’s choose the Ornate left and right parentheses. Click on the character. This will enlarge it. Now, tap on the Select button. Click Copy to copy the selected character or characters.
Step 3: Paste the special character in Google Sheets.
Go to your spreadsheet to paste the special character. Right-click and select Paste or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+V.
Wrapping up
You don’t have to struggle anymore to insert special characters in Google Sheets. Use any of the three methods above to quickly insert special characters into your sheet.