How to Type the Squared Symbol (²) on Windows Keyboard

Typing up formulas or calculations? Tired of writing out “square feet?” Find out here how to type and insert the squared symbol ( □² ) on Windows using keyboard and emoji panel.

First, Food Street—Not Street Food

Where the bay of Naples meets the hills on the other side of the Vesuvius, the streets are paved with pasta.

So important was pasta to the community of Gragnano and so important has Gragnano been to pasta that its streets, it is said, have been carefully arranged for it. Their layout and direction were calculated meticulously to be oriented just perfect for winds blowing in from the sea to dry pasta slowly and evenly. Today, the best noodles arguably still come from three quarters down the boot that is Italy.

Now, whether you want to lay out a piazza for flour and eggs or your disk for productivity, here’s a symbol to help your calculations:

How to Type the Squared Symbol ( ▯² ) on a Windows Keyboard

Insert ² with the Windows Emoji Panel (Convenient)

On a Mac? How to Type “Squared” ( ² ) on a Mac

Using the Windows Touch Keyboard (Swift Access)

To quickly insert superscripted numbers like the squared symbol using the Windows touch keyboard:

1. Click Touch keyboard in the taskbar to bring up the Windows touch keyboard.
2. Select &123.
   No “&123”: Select the settings gear icon in the keyboard and select Keyboard layout | Default (or Small or Split); the Traditional layout does not offer easy access to superscript numbers.
3. Tap and hold 2.
4. Highlight ² and let go to insert the squared symbol.
   Other numbers: The same same works with all the other numbers (including ⁰ for the superscript zero).
   

The other way around: How to Insert the Sign for Square Root ( √ ) on Windows

Using the US-International Keyboard Layout (Permanently Easy)

To insert the squared symbol ( ² ) using the United States-International keyboard layout for Windows:

1. Add the US-International keyboard layout to Windows.
2. Press and hold Windows.
3. Now press Space until the ENG INTL keyboard layout is highlighted.
4. Let go of the Windows key.
5. Press AltGr 2 to insert ².
   Cubed: Press AltGr 3 for cubed ( ³ ).
   Other superscript numbers: For other numbers in the exponent, turn to other methods such as the emoji panel.

Insert the Squared Symbol with the Windows Character Map (Cumbersome)

To find and insert the symbol for squared using the Windows character map:

1. Open Character Map.
   Here’s how: Press Windows to open the Start menu, start typing character map and select the Character Map application.
2. Select a typeface that includes the symbol for squared (the superscript number two) under Font :.
   Example: Lucida Sans Unicode, for instance, includes the superscript numbers.
   Just try: Pick the desired font and use the next step to find out whether it includes the squared symbol.
3. Type superscript under Search for :.
4. Double-click ² or any other of the superscript numbers to add it to the Characters to copy : field.
5. Now click Copy to copy the symbol for pasting anywhere.
   

How to Type the Squared Symbol on a Windows Keyboard: FAQ

Can I copy the superscript numbers here for pasting?

Yes.

Use the following table to quickly copy the squared symbol and other superscript numbers for use in text:

superscript one ¹	copy
squared symbol ²	copy
cubed symbol ³	copy
superscript four ⁴	copy
superscript five ⁵	copy
superscript six ⁶	copy
superscript seven ⁷	copy
superscript eight ⁸	copy
superscript nine ⁹	copy
superscript zero ⁰	copy

(How to type the squared symbol on a Windows keyboard tested with Windows 11 Version 22H2–23H2; first published August 2023, last updated August 2024)