How to Type æ (Ae ligature (ash)) on Android

Published August 26, 2026, 2 min read

Typing æ (ae ligature (ash)) on Android takes a few seconds once you know the trick. The short answer is Hold a. Read on for step-by-step instructions, the uppercase Æ and what to do when a method does not work.

æ on Android: Hold a

Æ on Android: Hold a

Or copy it:

Method 1: Long-press the letter

Open the keyboard in any app.
Touch and hold the a key.
Slide your finger to æ and lift it.

æ is on the long-press menu of the default English keyboard.

Method 2: Add the French keyboard

Open Settings → System → Languages & input → On-screen keyboard → Gboard → Languages.
Tap Add keyboard and pick French.
Switch keyboards with the globe key or by holding the space bar.

Method 3: Personal dictionary shortcut

In Gboard go to Settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary, pick your language, tap +, paste æ as the word and add a shortcut such as ali. Typing the shortcut then suggests æ.

How to type the capital Æ

The uppercase form works the same way with Shift added where a letter is typed.

Long-press the letter

Open the keyboard in any app.
Touch and hold the A key (with Shift on).
Slide your finger to Æ and lift it.

Æ is on the long-press menu of the default English keyboard.

Add the French keyboard

Open Settings → System → Languages & input → On-screen keyboard → Gboard → Languages.
Tap Add keyboard and pick French.
Switch keyboards with the globe key or by holding the space bar.

About the letter æ

æ is Unicode U+00E6, named LATIN SMALL LETTER AE. It is used in French, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic and Faroese. See the æ character page for every code and shortcut.

Troubleshooting

Samsung Keyboard and Gboard show slightly different long-press menus. If a letter is missing, add the language.
Turn off "Long press for symbols" in Gboard settings if holding a key shows numbers instead of accents.
Personal dictionary shortcuts appear as suggestions; tap the suggestion to insert the letter.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut for æ on Android?

Hold a.

Can I just copy and paste æ?

Yes. Click the copy button above, then paste with Ctrl+V on Windows and Chromebook, Cmd+V on a Mac, or touch and hold and choose Paste on a phone.

What is the Unicode code for æ?

U+00E6. In HTML it is æ.

Related guides

All accent shortcuts for Android