How to access Greek symbols on macOS from a basic keyboard without copy/paste? I write mathematical computer code.

I frequently need Greek letters such as ø

My current workflow is terrible: hold down OPT and run my finger across the three rows of the keyboard:

œ∑´®†¥¨^øπ“‘«
åß∂ƒ©˙∆˚¬…æ
Ω≈ç√∫~µ≤≥÷


... And see if I can find what I'm hunting for.

Failing that, typing 'alpha Unicode' into Google hope for some symbol I can copy and paste.

I discovered that in system settings -> keyboard -> keyboard, I can "show keyboard and character viewers in menubar".

The character viewer looks like it will come to the rescue, but ... no Greek symbols! ARGH!

What can I do?
In the top left-hand corner of the Character Viewer, there’s a gear icon. The first option is “Customise List…”.

This gives you a selectable list of all the character sets available in the sidebar. If you scroll down, you’ll find Greek as one of the options:



I don’t have a Mavericks machine to hand to check, but I’m fairly sure this feature existed before Yosemite.