How to type ¦ on Windows
The fastest method on a full-size keyboard is the Alt code Alt+0166.
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- Type 0166 on the numeric keypad (the number row will not work).
- Release Alt. The broken bar symbol ¦ appears.
No numeric keypad?
Press Win+. to open the emoji panel, choose the Symbols tab (Ω) and search for "broken bar". Or open Character Map from the Start menu, find ¦, click Select, then Copy.
How to type ¦ on a Mac
There is no direct keyboard shortcut for ¦ on a Mac.
For any symbol, the Character Viewer works: press Control+⌘+Space, type "broken bar" in the search box and double-click the result. It will be remembered under Frequently Used.
How to type ¦ on iPhone and iPad
The iOS keyboard does not include ¦, so the reliable way is to copy it from this page, then press and hold in any text field and tap Paste.
If you use it often, create a shortcut: open Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement, paste ¦ in the Phrase field and type a short code such as ;broken in the Shortcut field. Typing that code will then insert ¦ anywhere.
How to type ¦ on Android
Copy the symbol from this page, then long-press in a text field and choose Paste. Gboard also keeps a clipboard history: tap the clipboard icon on the toolbar to paste it again later.
For a permanent shortcut, open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary, add ¦ as the word and a short code as the shortcut.
How to type ¦ in Microsoft Word
- Type the Unicode hex code 00A6 where you want the symbol.
- Press Alt+X. Word converts the code into ¦.
This works on Windows in Word, Outlook and OneNote and needs no numeric keypad. You can also go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set the font to a Unicode font and type 00A6 in the Character code box. In Excel, the formula =UNICHAR(166) returns the symbol.
How to type ¦ in Google Docs
Open Insert → Special characters, then either search for "broken bar" or draw the symbol in the sketch box. Click the result to insert it. In Google Sheets, use =CHAR(166).
¦ in HTML, CSS and code
| Format | Code |
|---|---|
| HTML entity | ¦ |
| HTML decimal | ¦ |
| HTML hex | ¦ |
CSS content | "\00A6" |
| JavaScript | "\u00A6" |
| Python | "\u00A6" |
| URL encoded | %C2%A6 |
Because ¦ is a standard Unicode character (U+00A6), you can also paste it directly into any UTF-8 file. The escaped forms above are only needed when the file encoding is uncertain or the symbol must be entered on a keyboard without it.
Where the broken bar symbol is used
It appears mostly on keyboard keycaps and legacy Unix shell scripts, sometimes standing in for the pipe symbol, like "grep ¦ sort" on older systems. It is often confused with the solid vertical bar |, which is now standard in most programming contexts.
Frequently asked questions
Is the broken bar the same as the pipe symbol? +
They are related but distinct characters. The broken bar was once used interchangeably with the pipe (|) on some keyboards, but modern software treats them as separate Unicode code points.
Why does my keyboard have a broken bar key? +
Some international keyboard layouts, especially older UK and European ones, included the broken bar as a legacy alternate to the standard pipe character.
What is the Alt code for the broken bar symbol? +
The Alt code for ¦ is Alt+0166. Hold Alt, type 0166 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
How do I type ¦ on a Mac? +
There is no dedicated Mac shortcut for ¦. Open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search for "broken bar", and double-click it. Or copy it from this page.
How do I type the broken bar symbol on iPhone or Android? +
Phone keyboards do not include ¦ by default. Copy it from this page and paste it, or add it as a text replacement shortcut in Settings so you can type it with a short abbreviation.
What is the HTML code for ¦? +
Use ¦ in HTML. The numeric form ¦ works too. In CSS use content: "\00A6" and in JavaScript use "\u00A6".