Where's the # key in Lion

Question

In Snow Leopard alt-3 used to print a #, in Lion it doesn't. I'v tried different key combination keyboard viewer but still no luck. Any ideas were the # key went?

It depends heavily on the localization you set - what layout are you using? (It is selected when you first customize your OS and can be changed in the Language & Text system preference under Input Sources ) — bmike, Aug 11 '11 at 14:23
Any chance you're on a UK keyboard? Or UK keyboard setting at least? If so, try Alt+3... — Michal M, Aug 11 '11 at 14:40

score 8 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 11 '11 at 14:29

8

Since it varies by keyboard layout - why not open your keyboard viewer and find out?

In the US keyboard layout on lion, it's still shift + 3

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You have to select this from the menu bar after enabling it in the menu bar

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answered Aug 11 '11 at 14:29

bmike

235,889

The post author did mention trying keyboard viewer. But perhaps did not hit shift or alt+shift? – Tom Gewecke Aug 11 '11 at 14:34
More likely the input source was changer on her. – bmike Aug 11 '11 at 14:47

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 11 '11 at 14:23

2

It's still Alt-3 on my UK keyboard -- ###.

answered Aug 11 '11 at 14:23

Mike Scott

10,484

2

apparently uk keyboard has alt-3 as # & shift 3 as £; the U.S. keyboard is vice versa – Samantha Catania Aug 11 '11 at 14:43
this is correct, alt-3 for # on UK keyboard – Graeme Hutchison Dec 19 '11 at 16:44

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 15 '20 at 08:04

1

I like to use the widget:

CharacterPal

Searching and copying a needed character is faster than with the keyboard viewer:

You do can look through all characers at once. With the keyboard viewer you need to hold ⌥ and ⇧ to see more characters.
Characters are sorteded by type: greek, keyboard, math...
TOP: You can find special (keyboard) symbols like ⌦, ⌘, ⎋, ⏏, ⌤ ...

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edited Jun 15 '20 at 08:04

Community

1

answered Dec 19 '11 at 16:30

gentmatt

49,722

score -1 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 23 '16 at 16:14

-1

on a french keyboard # is: alt-shift-£

crazy huh?

answered Feb 23 '16 at 16:14

Mary

1

score -2 · Answer 5 · answered Aug 11 '11 at 14:13

-2

You're talking about the hash key? Doesn't it print when you press Shift+3 ? Or maybe your keyboard layout is different but on every keyboard I've seen in the United States that's where the hash key lives.

answered Aug 11 '11 at 14:13

bringel

780

1

Perhaps the questioner isn't in the United States? Apple keyboards in the UK have no hash symbol marked on them at all, but you can get hash with Alt-3 (in Lion as well as Snow Leopard). Similarly, the Euro symbol € is Alt-2, which is marked on the keyboard, and Alt-1 and Alt-4 through Alt-0 also produce different unmarked characters. – Mike Scott Aug 11 '11 at 14:25
¡™£¢∞§¶•ªº–≠ alt is fun ⁄€‹›ﬁﬂ‡°·‚—± how much comes out when non-Macs view this web page? – GEdgar Aug 11 '11 at 15:33
I can see all of that from the windows computer I use for work. Why? – bringel Aug 11 '11 at 17:52

Where's the # key in Lion

5 Answers5

CharacterPal

Linked