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ALEX ORROW PHOTOGRAPHY // Advice and Tips » Finding the # Hash key on British Apple Mac Keyboard (press alt+3)

Finding the # Hash key on British Apple Mac Keyboard (press alt+3)

This post is for anyone who is searching for the hash # key on a British apple keyboard. I’m a commercial photographer based in Surrey and thought this might be useful to anyone new to Apple Mac keyboard layouts.

Hold down the “alt/option” key then press “3” 

On a U.S. Keyboard it will most likely be “Shift + 3”

If you don’t get a hash appear when you press alt > 3; open the Keyboard Viewer (you will find this on the top right of your screen next to the date and time. It is usually the country flag icon.) Or

Open system preferences > Keyboard > Select ‘Input Sources’  make sure British is selected. You will see the different keyboard characters change when you press alt, shift etc.

For anyone who is an avid Twitter user the # hash key is an important character. As a photographer I post many images via twitter and instagram using the hashtag.

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19 thoughts on “Finding the # Hash key on British Apple Mac Keyboard (press alt+3)”

  1. Yes I am , but I have tried alt then three, alt and the three pressed together. If teh keyboard viewer is to be believed there simply is no hash on my keyboard, when you press alt and three, it highlights the number three.

  2. I can read the hash, ie it shows on my screen on twitter, but it doesn’t appear when I’m typing. I tried to call my local apple shop, sat on hold for 12 minutes and gave up.

    My husband suggested copying and pasting teh hash from elsewhere and then creating a shortcut. I have had my mac for just over a year and I truly hate it!

  3. NO! That’s what I said at the beginning, the number 3 remains a number three, there is definitely no hash key on this keyboard. The keyboard viewer is really cool though…. just doesn’t help me with the missing hash key

    1. If when using the keyboard viewer you don’t see any other character changing when you press the alt ket. Try this:

      Open system preferences > Keyboard > Select the ‘Modifier Keys’ button at bottom right > you will see a list with the Option key and a drop down list next to it. It should say ‘Option’. If it says ‘No action’ change this to ‘Option’

      Hope this helps? Otherwise I cannot suggest anything else to help you except speaking to Apple.

  4. All of the numbers remain, all of the letters go ie their tiles become blank, def have it on British keyboard. I am a bit glad you don’t know what to do because it means it’s not obvious and therefore can’t be me being stupid!

  5. I tried all the methods that have been suggested, without any luck… I then held down the fn key and tapped the ‘backward slash’ key and the ‘Hash’ symbol appeared… It was also produced by simply tapping the backwards slash key…

    I’m set to use the British keyboard…

    This is all quite ‘mind-boggling’….

    Robbie….

  6. I too have tried everything suggested here to get a hashtag, the only thing that is working for me is to find a hashtag & copy paste it. I even tried to change § into a # but it hasn’t worked. When I bring up the keyboard viewer & hold the option key the layout changes to capitals etc.
    I’m hoping this is a clue!

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