Bitcoin Technology

Google Introduces Bitcoin Symbol on iOS Keyboards

Julio Gil-Pulgar · @gil_pulgar | Feb 19, 2019 | 15:00

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Google now enables the Bitcoin symbol on keyboards for iOS mobile devices, suggesting that the IT giant recognizes Bitcoin as a mainstream currency.

Google’s Legitimization of Bitcoin

Users of iOS mobile devices can now use the capital letter serif B, traversed with two vertical lines.  Crypto journalist Tim Copeland explains,

“To access it, make sure you’re using the Google keyboard, not just the default Apple one, and hold down the dollar symbol to see a pop up of several of the world’s major currency symbols. The Bitcoin symbol is located on the far left.”

Actually, Google’s decision to incorporate the cryptocurrency symbol in its keyboard might be Google’s second step towards considering Bitcoin a mainstream currency.

In September 2018, the tech giant lifted the ban it had imposed four months earlier on cryptocurrency advertising. In the announcement, Scott Spencer, Google’s Director of Product Management, Sustainable Ads, stated:

We don’t have a crystal ball to know where the future is going to go with cryptocurrencies, but we’ve seen enough consumer harm or potential for consumer harm that it’s an area that we want to approach with extreme caution.

According to Copeland, these moves by Google might not help to dramatically increase Bitcoin’s rate of adoption,

But, it is a major endorsement by the web giant that has so far stayed away from cryptocurrencies, although a recent ban on advertising crypto projects was recently lifted suggesting Google might be warming to crypto: A small step, but a positive one.

Tech Giants Are Stepping Up Their Support for Bitcoin

The symbol representing the Bitcoin currency unit is already part of the Unicode standard, version 10, and it has been since June 2017. The Unicode character assigned to Bitcoin is 20BF.

Thus, for example, Microsoft products allow users to insert the cryptocurrency symbol, ₿, by typing 20BF plus ALT. In addition, Microsoft accepts payments in Bitcoin for media content on its Windows and Xbox stores.

Although Apple has not yet officially enabled the Bitcoin symbol, last September, its mobile operating system iOS12 added two Bitcoin glyphs as part of the Siri Shortcuts app.

Now, Bitcoin enthusiasts are waiting for Google to further legitimize the cryptocurrency by also making the Bitcoin symbol available to Android operating devices.

How do you think Google’s enabling of the Bitcoin symbol in its keyboard for iOS devices will impact the cryptocurrency’s rate of adoption? Let us know in the comments below!

Images courtesy of Twitter/ @Timccopeland, AppleInsider, Shutterstock