Simply hold down the Alt key and type the corresponding number to insert a special character. If you have memorized the code of your favorite special character, you can insert it in less than a second ...

Starting with builds 26200.5761 (Windows 11 version 25H2 in the Dev Channel) and 26120.5770 (Beta Channel), you can enter an en dash by pressing Win + Minus and an em dash by pressing Win + Shift + ...