Are you struggling to type the pound (£) or euro (€) sign on your Mac keyboard? Many users, especially those new to macOS or using different keyboard layouts, find themselves confused when the expected currency symbols don’t appear. This guide will walk you through the common issues and simple solutions to ensure you can easily type both the pound and euro signs whenever you need them.
Understanding Keyboard Input Sources for Currency Symbols
The key to typing special characters like currency symbols on a Mac lies in understanding Input Sources. Your Mac uses input sources to determine which characters are produced when you press keys. If you’re expecting a pound sign (£) by pressing Shift + 3, but instead get a hash symbol (#), your input source is likely not set to a British keyboard layout.
The “UK English” keyboard setting mentioned by some users isn’t actually an input source option. Instead, you should be looking for “British” in your Input Sources settings. Let’s check how to configure this:
- Go to System Settings, then click on Keyboard.
- Select Text Input from the left sidebar and click Edit next to Input Sources.
- Here, you’ll see a list of your active input sources. Ensure “British” is added and selected as your primary input source if you want the pound sign on Shift + 3.
- Remove any unnecessary input sources, such as “Unicode Hex Input,” which can sometimes interfere with standard keyboard inputs. Select the input source you want to remove and click the minus (-) button.
Alt text: Keyboard Input Sources settings in macOS Sonoma showing the “British” input source selected and the remove button highlighted for removing input sources.
By setting your Input Source to “British,” you’re telling your Mac to use the standard UK keyboard layout, where Shift + 3 produces the £ symbol.
Troubleshooting Issues with the Pound (£) Sign
Even with the correct Input Source selected, some users might still encounter issues. Here are common problems and their solutions:
Shift + 3 gives # (hash symbol) instead of £ (pound sign):
- Solution: Double-check your Input Source. As mentioned earlier, ensure “British” is selected in your Keyboard Input Sources settings. If you see other English input sources like “US,” try removing them to avoid confusion.
Option + 3 doesn’t produce any character:
- Solution: This is unusual and could indicate a more significant issue. First, test Option + 3 in different applications (like TextEdit, Notes, and your web browser) to see if the problem is app-specific. If it fails everywhere, restart your Mac. If restarting doesn’t help, check for keyboard layout customizations or conflicts with other software.
Unicode Hex Input Interference:
- Solution: If you have “Unicode Hex Input” enabled, it can sometimes override standard keyboard shortcuts. Remove “Unicode Hex Input” from your Input Sources as described in the previous section if you don’t specifically need it.
Typing the Euro (€) Sign
Now that we’ve covered the pound sign, let’s address the euro (€) sign. On most Mac keyboard layouts, including “British” and “U.S.”, typing the euro sign is straightforward:
- Euro Sign (€): Press Option (⌥) + 2.
This shortcut should work consistently across different applications and input sources.
Conclusion
Typing currency symbols like the pound (£) and euro (€) signs on your Mac should be a simple task. By ensuring you have the correct Input Source selected, particularly “British” for the pound sign on Shift + 3, and using the Option + 2 shortcut for the euro sign, you can easily access these symbols. If you encounter persistent issues, double-checking your Input Source settings and restarting your Mac are often the most effective troubleshooting steps.
