The í — an i with an acute accent — shows up in Spanish (sí, difícil), Portuguese (aí, país), Irish (síocháin), and several other languages. If you type in any of these languages regularly, here’s every method for getting í on your keyboard, organized by platform.
Windows
Method 1: Alt Code
Hold the left Alt key, type the number on your numeric keypad (Num Lock must be on), then release:
- Alt + 0237 → í (lowercase)
- Alt + 0205 → Í (uppercase)
Note: This requires a numeric keypad recognized by Windows, with Num Lock enabled. A built-in, embedded, or external numeric keypad may work; the number row above the letters normally will not. If you do not have a numeric keypad, skip to Method 2.
Method 2: United States-International Keyboard Layout
If you have the US International keyboard layout enabled:
- Press ‘ (apostrophe) then i → í
- Press ‘ then Shift + I → Í
This is the fastest method for regular use and works in most standard Windows applications and text fields.
Method 3: Copy and Paste
Need í right now without any setup? Copy it directly:
í Í
Paste it wherever you need it.
You can also use our interactive Accent Character Finder to copy any accented character instantly and see keyboard shortcuts for every device.
Mac
Method 1: Option Key Shortcut
- Press Option + e, then press i → í
- Press Option + e, then press Shift + I → Í
This works in most applications that support standard macOS text input.
Method 2: Hold-Key Popup
Hold down the i key and a small popup will appear showing accented versions. Click í or press its number. Simple and reliable, though slightly slower than the Option shortcut.
Method 3: ABC – Extended Keyboard
If you use the ABC – Extended keyboard layout on Mac, the same Option + e combination applies. This layout provides additional dead-key combinations for many accented and special characters.
iPhone and Android
iPhone and iPad
Tap and hold the i key. A popup will appear with accented options — slide to í and release. Works in every app, no setup required.
Android
The process is the same: tap and hold i and select í from the popup. If your keyboard doesn’t show í, try switching to Gboard (Google’s keyboard), which supports accented characters across all languages.
Chromebook
Method 1: US International Keyboard
With the US International keyboard enabled in Settings:
- Press ‘ then i → í
- Press ‘ then Shift + I → Í
To enable it, open Settings → Device → Keyboard → Change input settings. Under Input methods, select Add and choose English (US) with International.
Method 2: Unicode Input
On Chromebook you can also enter characters by Unicode:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U
- Type 00ED (the hexadecimal value for Unicode character U+00ED, í)
- Press Enter
This method requires no keyboard-layout change and works in many compatible ChromeOS text fields, but it may not work in every app or field.
Takes 10 seconds. No spam.
Quick Reference
| Platform | Method | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Alt code | Alt + 0237 |
| Windows | US International | ‘ then i |
| Mac | Option shortcut | Option + e, i |
| Mac | Hold key | Hold i → select í |
| iPhone | Hold key | Hold i → select í |
| Android | Hold key | Hold i → select í |
| Chromebook | US International | ‘ then i |
| Chromebook | Unicode | Ctrl+Shift+U, 00ED |
When Do You Need í?
A few common words where í appears:
Spanish: sí (yes), allí (there), difícil (difficult), país (country), así (like this)
Portuguese: aí (there), país (country), saí (I left), atraí (I attracted)
Irish: síocháin (peace), tír (country), míle (thousand)
If you’re typing in Spanish regularly, our Spanish Accents guide covers every character you’ll need in one place. For Portuguese, see our Portuguese Accents guide.
Need other accented characters? See our guides on how to type é, how to type á, how to type ñ, how to type ó, and how to type ü.
