Before Twitter came along, the hash symbol—which resembles a # and is sometimes known as a pound sign in the US—was a little specialized. After being used on several social networks, the hashtag sign is increasingly difficult to ignore.
To do hashtag on mac are more difficult to locate on UK Mac keyboards than they are on PC keyboards. Older UK-layout Mac keyboards didn't have a hash symbol anywhere (although it does appear on newer keyboards).
On a UK keyboard, you must press the Option key even if you intend to enter a #. (on some older keyboards the Option key is labeled Alt, as below).
Press Alt + 3 on a UK Mac to perform a hashtag. That's all there is to it.
Want to replace the keyboard on your UK computer? View our roundup of the top Mac keyboards.
Shift + 3 will work if you're using a US Mac keyboard since it's the second choice for the 3 key (you'll see a # above the 3) in that case. (This would type the £, popularly known as the pound symbol, on UK keyboards.)
Here's how to add a hashtag to a Mac keyboard that is either US or UK-based.
1. Press the number 3 key while holding down the Shift key on an Apple keyboard in the US. On your keyboard, the hash sign is located above the number 3 key. macOS keyboard for the hashtag
2. Press the number 3 key while holding down the Alt key (also known as the Option key) on an Apple keyboard from the UK or Europe. You'll find a pound sign and the hash symbol to the right of the number 3 key on the majority of modern keyboards.
On certain vintage UK Mac keyboards, the hashtag may not show at all, but you can still enter it by pressing Alt (Option) + 3.
Tips for Typing Hashtags on a Mac
- Check Apple's list of keyboard localizations if you're unsure of the area or nation your keyboard originates from.
- The ALT key and the Option key are interchangeable, although on many European and UK keyboards, "Alt" is absent, leaving "Option" with a symbol. macOS alt-option key
- The ALT key and Option key are interchangeable when a linked external PC keyboard is being used with a Mac.
- In the USA, a hashtag is sometimes referred to as a "number" or "pound sign."
- The language settings on your Mac may have been reset if one day you discover that you are suddenly unable to type the "at" symbol on a UK Mac keyboard following an upgrade to macOS.
If this occurs, take these steps to restore the UK British layout:
- Go to System Preferences under the Apple ( ) Menu.
- Choose your region and language.
- Drag your selected language, such as UK or British, to the top of the list of available languages. Simply click the "+" sign to add English (U.K.) to the list if it isn't already there.
You may be requested to restart your Mac after closing the system settings in order for the changes to take effect.
On British keyboards, pressing Alt (Option) +3 will now enter the hash once again.
This is straightforward advice, but for novice Mac users used to the specialized hash key on PC keyboards, it may sometimes be rather annoying.
If all else fails, all you have to do is copy and paste a hashtag from a social networking site like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram onto your Mac.
Let us know in the comments below if you're still having trouble installing the hashtag on your Mac or if you have any other inquiries.
Just in case you're still having doubts:
