How to type { on Windows
The left curly bracket symbol has no short Alt code. The quickest option is to copy it from the top of this page and paste it with Ctrl+V.
No numeric keypad?
Press Win+. to open the emoji panel, choose the Symbols tab (Ω) and search for "left curly bracket". 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 "left curly bracket" 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 ;left 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 007B 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 007B in the Character code box. In Excel, the formula =UNICHAR(123) returns the symbol.
How to type { in Google Docs
Open Insert → Special characters, then either search for "left curly bracket" or draw the symbol in the sketch box. Click the result to insert it. In Google Sheets, use =CHAR(123).
{ in HTML, CSS and code
| Format | Code |
|---|---|
| HTML entity | { |
| HTML decimal | { |
| HTML hex | { |
CSS content | "\007B" |
| JavaScript | "\u007B" |
| Python | "\u007B" |
| URL encoded | %7B |
Because { is a standard Unicode character (U+007B), 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 left curly bracket symbol is used
Programmers use it to open blocks in languages like JavaScript and C, as in "function() { return x; }". In math, it marks the start of a set, such as "{1, 2, 3}". Don't confuse it with the left parenthesis "(" or square bracket "[", which have different grouping roles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between curly brackets and parentheses? +
Parentheses group expressions or arguments, while curly brackets typically define code blocks, sets, or object structures like JSON.
Why are curly brackets used in JSON? +
They mark the start and end of an object, holding key-value pairs, such as {"name": "Alice"}.
What is the Alt code for the left curly bracket symbol? +
The left curly bracket symbol has no short Alt code. Copy it from this page, or in Word type 007B and press Alt + X.
How do I type { on a Mac? +
There is no dedicated Mac shortcut for {. Open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search for "left curly bracket", and double-click it. Or copy it from this page.
How do I type the left curly bracket 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: "\007B" and in JavaScript use "\u007B".