How to Type ū (U with macron) on Android

Published July 18, 2026, 2 min read

Typing ū (u with macron) on Android takes a few seconds once you know the trick. The short answer is Hold u. Read on for step-by-step instructions, the uppercase Ū and what to do when a method does not work.

ū on Android: Hold u

Ū on Android: Hold u

Or copy it:

Method 1: Long-press the letter

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

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

Method 2: Add the Latvian keyboard

Open Settings → System → Languages & input → On-screen keyboard → Gboard → Languages.
Tap Add keyboard and pick Latvian.
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 ū as the word and add a shortcut such as uma. Typing the shortcut then suggests ū.

How to type the capital Ū

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 U key (with Shift on).
Slide your finger to Ū and lift it.

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

Add the Latvian keyboard

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

About the letter ū

ū is Unicode U+016B, named LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH MACRON. It is used in Latvian, Lithuanian, Mandarin Pinyin, Māori and Hawaiian. A flat bar above a vowel, used for long vowels in Latvian, Lithuanian, Māori, Hawaiian and Latin textbooks, and for the first tone in Pinyin. See the ū 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 ū on Android?

Hold u.

Can I just copy and paste ū?

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 ū?

U+016B. In HTML it is ū.

Related guides

All accent shortcuts for Android