To type the registered trademark symbol (®), hold Alt and type 0174 on the numeric keypad in Windows, or press Option + R on a Mac. In most word processors, you can also just type (r) and hit the space bar — the software converts it to ® automatically. The right shortcut depends on your device and app, and every major platform has a built-in way to produce the character.
Windows Shortcut
Hold down the Alt key, type 0174 on the numeric keypad on the right side of a full-size keyboard, then release Alt. The ® appears when you let go. Num Lock has to be on, or the keypad won’t register the numbers. This works in virtually any Windows application.
Laptops often skip the numeric keypad. If yours does, open the Start menu, search for “Character Map,” find ®, click Copy, and paste it into your document.
Mac Shortcut
Press Option + R. It works across every macOS application. If you’d rather browse, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space (or Edit → Emoji & Symbols) and search for “registered” to insert the symbol with a click.
Linux Shortcut
In most Linux desktop environments, press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00ae (the Unicode code point for ®), and press Enter or Space. If you have a Compose key set up, press Compose, then o, then r. The exact behavior varies between GNOME, KDE, and other environments, but the Unicode input approach works broadly.
iPhone and Android
On iPhone and iPad, tap the emoji key on the keyboard, then swipe to the symbols section where ® sits next to ™ and ©. If you insert it often, set up a text replacement under Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement so a trigger like “rreg” produces ® automatically.
On Android with Gboard, tap the ?123 key to switch to numbers and symbols, then tap =\< for the additional characters. The ® is usually on the second or third page. Samsung Keyboard and other third-party keyboards follow the same pattern. Look past the first page of symbols.
Microsoft Word
Word gives you three ways to insert it. The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl + Alt + R, which drops ® wherever your cursor is. Through the menu, go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols and pick ® from the list.
The easiest method is to type (r) and press the space bar. Word’s AutoCorrect recognizes the sequence and swaps it for ®. This also works in Outlook and most other Microsoft 365 apps. If nothing happens when you try it, check File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options and confirm the (r) → ® substitution is enabled.
Google Docs
Google Docs behaves the same way. Type (r) and it becomes ® on the spot. Google calls the feature “Substitutions,” and you can manage the list under Tools → Preferences → Substitutions. To browse manually, go to Insert → Special characters and search for “registered.”
HTML and Web Content
If you’re writing HTML, use the named entity ® or the numeric entity ®. Both display as ® across every modern browser. The named version is easier to remember; the numeric version is useful where named entities aren’t supported. In CSS, the content property accepts \00AE for pseudo-elements.
Most content management systems, including WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix, accept the symbol typed directly into the visual editor with no entity needed. HTML entities matter mainly when you’re editing raw markup or building templates.
Copy and Paste as a Fallback
When the shortcut slips your mind, copy ® from anywhere it already appears, including this page. Select it, press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Command + C (Mac), and paste it into your document. It works in every application on every platform because ® is a standard Unicode character (U+00AE), and it carries over cleanly.
When You Can Legally Use the ® Symbol
Typing the character is easy. Using it lawfully has rules. The ® tells the world that your trademark is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and you can only use it after the USPTO has approved and registered your mark, and only in connection with the specific goods or services listed in that registration.1United States Patent and Trademark Office. What Is a Trademark? – Section: Using the Trademark Symbols TM, SM, and R
If your mark hasn’t been registered yet, even if you’ve filed an application, use ™ for goods or ℠ for services. Those symbols signal that you’re claiming rights in the mark, and they don’t require any government approval to use.1United States Patent and Trademark Office. What Is a Trademark? – Section: Using the Trademark Symbols TM, SM, and R
Using ® on an unregistered mark carries two risks. It can undermine a pending application because the USPTO may view it as a misrepresentation. And under federal law, anyone who obtains a registration through false or fraudulent means faces civil liability to anyone harmed by that fraud.
Displaying the symbol also matters once you are registered. Federal law doesn’t require you to show ®, but if you sue for infringement and never used it or another form of registration notice, you can’t recover profits or damages unless you prove the infringer actually knew your mark was registered.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – 1111 Notice of Registration Display with Mark One more reason to keep the shortcut handy.