Hold Alt and type 3 for a solid heart. For other hearts, use the number shown on the heart page.
Technical note: Hold Alt and type 3 on the numeric keypad for ♥. The outline heart ♡ is Alt 9825, and the heavy heart ❤ is Alt 10084.Reviewed by CoolSymbol.now Editorial · August 2, 2026What you need to know
Windows keeps a few legacy short codes from the old DOS character set.
Alt codes need a real numeric keypad.
macOS has no alt codes.
See real examples in heart symbols and emoji symbols. For the full lesson, read Why Symbols Look Different Across Fonts and Devices.
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The short codes and the long ones
Windows keeps a few legacy short codes from the old DOS character set. Alt 3 gives you ♥ because that is where the heart sat in code page 437. Those short codes only exist for a handful of characters.
For everything else, the alt code is simply the character's decimal code point. The outline heart is U+2661, which is 9825 in decimal, so Alt 9825 produces it.
- Alt 3 → ♥ (legacy short code)
- Alt 9825 → ♡ white heart suit
- Alt 10084 → ❤ heavy black heart
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Why yours might not work
Alt codes need a real numeric keypad. The number row along the top does not work, which is why the method fails on most laptops.
In Microsoft Word there is a better route. Type the hexadecimal code — 2661 for the outline heart — then press Alt and X together. No keypad needed.
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On a Mac or a phone
macOS has no alt codes. Add the Unicode Hex Input keyboard, then hold Option and type 2661. Or press Control-Command-Space and search the Character Viewer for "heart".
Phones have no code entry at all. Use the emoji keyboard, or copy the heart you want from this site.
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Sources and further reading
This answer was reviewed against current Unicode terminology and the practical guidance below.
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