Infinity Symbol (∞)

Copy the infinity symbol ∞ with one click below. On Windows, hold Alt and type 236 on the number pad. On a Mac, press Option + 5. The tool also has the infinity emoji ♾ and a few rare infinity signs used in math.

Infinity symbol codes

These are the infinity signs, with the HTML code and the Windows Alt code. Each sign in the tool above also shows its Unicode number.

Sign	HTML	Alt
∞ Infinity	∞	236
♾ Infinity emoji	♾	None
⧜ Incomplete infinity	⧜	None
⧝ Tie over infinity	⧝	None
⧞ Infinity with a bar	⧞	None
ℵ Aleph	ℵ	None

There is no four digit Alt code for ∞. If you type Alt + 0236 out of habit, you get ì instead. Use Alt + 236 with no zero. Our Alt Code Finder shows which symbols need the zero and which do not.

How to type the infinity symbol

Windows

Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, type 236 on the number pad and let go of Alt. The number keys above the letters will not work. On a laptop without a number pad, press Windows key + . (period), click the Ω tab and open Math symbols. Our Alt codes guide has more help.

Microsoft Word

Type 221E and press Alt + X. Or press Alt + = to start an equation, type \infty and press Space.

If the code comes right after a number, Word reads both as one code. Type a space first, or select just 221E, and then press Alt + X.

Mac

Press Option + 5 on the standard US keyboard. For the infinity emoji ♾, press Control + Command + Space and search for “infinity”. Our Mac symbols guide lists more Option shortcuts like this one.

Google Docs

Go to Insert > Special characters and search for “infinity”. Inside an equation (Insert > Equation), type \infty and press Space.

Excel and Google Sheets

=UNICHAR(8734) gives ∞. It is text only, so Excel cannot do math with it.

iPhone and Android

Open the emoji keyboard and search for “infinity” to get ♾. For the plain text symbol ∞, copy it from this page, or on iPhone add a shortcut in Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.

Chromebook

Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 221e, then press Space or Enter.

HTML, CSS and LaTeX

In HTML, use ∞ or ∞. In CSS, use content: "\221E";. In LaTeX, \infty gives ∞, and -\infty gives negative infinity.

∞ or ♾: text symbol or emoji?

∞ is a text symbol. It takes the size and color of the words around it, so it is the right choice for math, documents and clean bios. ♾ can show as a colored emoji on phones, and it looks a bit different on iPhone, Android and Windows.

Here is a fun fact. In Unicode, ♾ is called the “permanent paper sign”. It was first added to mark paper made to last for a very long time, and it became the infinity emoji in 2018.

What does the infinity symbol mean?

In math, ∞ means something has no end. It is not a real number you can add or subtract. It shows that a value keeps growing. You will see it in limits, like x → ∞, in sums that go on forever, and in ranges like (0, ∞), which means every number above zero.

Outside of math, ∞ stands for “forever”. People use it for endless love or friendship, in wedding notes, on jewelry, in tattoos and in social media bios. On a camera lens, the ∞ mark is the focus setting for faraway things like mountains and stars.

Where the infinity symbol comes from

The English mathematician John Wallis first used ∞ in 1655, in his book about conic sections. He never explained why he picked that shape. The curve looks like a ribbon tied in a loop, and its shape is often called a lemniscate, from the Latin word for ribbon.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Alt code for the infinity symbol?

Alt + 236 on the number pad. Do not add a zero in front, because Alt + 0236 gives ì.

How do I type infinity on a Mac?

Press Option + 5. It works on the standard US keyboard layout in almost every app.

What is the HTML code for infinity?

∞ or ∞. Both show ∞.

Can I use the infinity symbol in my Instagram bio?

Yes. ∞ is normal text, so you can paste it into a bio, a name, a caption or a comment. ♾ works too, and shows as an emoji.

Is ∞ the same as a sideways 8?

It looks close, but it is its own character (U+221E). You cannot rotate the number 8 in normal text, so copy ∞ instead.

Sources: the Unicode Mathematical Operators chart (U+221E), the Miscellaneous Symbols chart (U+267E) and Florian Cajori’s A History of Mathematical Notations (1928). Written by Muhammad Ilyas, updated October 2026.

More math signs: multiplication sign ×, division symbol ÷, square root √ and all math symbols in one place.