Most iPhone users will be aware of their device's built-in calculator, but not everyone will know some of the tricks that you can perform with the app that can save you time. Here are some of our favorite tips.

1. Swipe to Delete Numbers

It's a common misconception that if you type the wrong number into the Calculator app, you have to start the whole sum all over again. Happily, that isn't the case: Simply swipe right or left with a finger across the number display to remove the last number you typed, and repeat the action if necessary to remove several numbers.

calculator

2. Scientific calculator

The default calculator app includes a built-in scientific calculator that you can use to perform logarithms, square roots, trigonometric calculations, and more advanced math equations.

calculator
To access the scientific calculator, simply rotate your iPhone to landscape mode. If it's not showing up, make sure the portrait orientation lock is disabled in Control Center. To switch back to the regular calculator, rotate your phone to portrait mode.

3. Copy and Paste

You don't need to memorize the results of your calculations to input them into other apps. Use the clipboard functions instead - just long press on the number field to copy or paste the result.

calculator

4. Copy Last Result

If you've switched to another app, you can still quickly paste the last figure that you calculated without returning to the calculator to copy it.

calculator
Using either a swipe up or a swipe down, launch the Control Center on your iPhone, then long press the Calculator button, and you'll see a handy option to Copy Last Result.

5. Spotlight Calculations

Did you know that calculator functions are built into Spotlight Search on your iPhone?

spotlight
Simply swipe down from the Home screen to bring up Spotlight, and you can perform basic calculations by typing them directly into the Search field at the top of the screen without having to open the Calculator app.

Bonus Tip for Apple Watch Users

The Calculator app on Apple Watch comes with a couple of additional features that make short work of calculating how much you should tip and how much each person in a group owes if you're splitting a bill.

The steps below show you how it's done. Note that the two features can be used together, but you can also use them independently by selecting a 0% tip and changing the number of people, or changing the tip and leaving the People field set to 1.

  1. Launch the Calculator app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Enter the total amount of the bill.
  3. Tap the TIP button in the top-right corner, just left of the divide button.
  4. With the Tip field highlighted in green, turn your watch's Digital Crown to change the percentage.
  5. To split the bill between a group of people, tap People and then use the Digital Crown to change the number (the maximum is 50).apple watch split the bill tip

You'll see the total amount below the two fields change to reflect your tip adjustments, and the amount below that will change depending on how many people are paying.

Here's another little tip: If you don't use the TIP function, you can actually change the button on the calculator layout to a standard percentage (%) function. Simply press firmly on the main calculator screen and tap either Tip Function or Percent.

Popular Stories

Elon Musk Urges Customers to Buy 'Tesla Cyberwhistle' Instead of Apple Polishing Cloth

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has encouraged customers to buy the "Cyberwhistle" for $50 instead of Apple's much-discussed Polishing Cloth. The product page, which Musk shared on Twitter on Tuesday evening, offers a limited edition stainless steel whistle with the same distinctive design of the Tesla Cybertruck:Inspired by Cybertruck, the limited-edition Cyberwhistle is a premium collectible made from ...

New iPhone SE Reportedly on Track for Release in First Quarter of 2022

Tuesday November 30, 2021 8:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol

Apple plans to release a third-generation iPhone SE in the first quarter of 2022, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce. If this timeframe proves to be accurate, we can expect the device to be released by the end of March. As previously rumored, TrendForce said the new iPhone SE will remain a mid-range smartphone with added support for 5G:In terms of product development, Apple is...

Five Features to Look Forward to in the 2022 MacBook Air

Tuesday November 30, 2021 1:51 pm PST by Juli Clover

In 2022, Apple is going to release an updated version of the MacBook Air with some of the biggest design changes that we've seen since 2010, when Apple introduced the 11 and 13-inch size options. In the video below, we highlight five features that you need to know about the new machine. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. No More Wedge Design - Current MacBook...

Cyber Monday: Original Apple TV 4K Drops to $99.99 for Amazon Prime Members

We've been tracking Apple product and accessory deals for Cyber Monday 2021 today, and now Woot is offering a solid discount on the previous generation 32GB Apple TV 4K. You can get this device in new condition for just $99.99 if you're an Amazon Prime member. Note that this sale will last for one day only. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...

Apple Reveals the Most Downloaded iOS Apps and Games of 2021

Thursday December 2, 2021 12:05 am PST by Juli Clover

Along with naming its editorial picks for the top apps and games of 2021, Apple today shared charts for the most downloaded free and paid apps and games in the United States across 2021. The number one most downloaded free iPhone app was TikTok, followed by YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. The top paid iPhone apps included Procreate Pocket, HotSchedules, The Wonder Weeks, and Touch...

Apple Introduces New MacBook Upgrade Program for Business Partners

Monday November 29, 2021 7:38 am PST by Sami Fathi

In association with CIT as the financing partner, Apple has launched a new Mac Upgrade Program for small businesses and Apple business partners that allow companies to easily distribute and upgrade their fleets of MacBooks at an affordable price to all of their workers. As outlined on CIT's website, shared by Max Weinbach, Apple Business Partners can distribute the 13-inch MacBook Pro,...

Transparent AirPods and 29W Power Adapter Prototypes Surface in Photos

Images of transparent prototype AirPods and a 29W Apple power adapter have been shared on Twitter by Apple device collector Giulio Zompetti. The prototypes, which appear to be either first-generation or second-generation AirPods, feature clear plastic along the stem and around the outer side of the earbud, with the normal white plastic on the inner side of the earbud. Transparent casings are ...

Apple Planning to Replace the iPhone With AR Headset in 10 Years

Apple is planning to replace the iPhone with an augmented reality (AR) headset in 10 years, a process that is apparently due to start as soon as next year with the launch of a head-mounted device, according to a recent report. Concept render of Apple's rumored AR headset by Antonio De Rosa In a note to investors seen by MacRumors, eminent analyst Ming-Chi Kuo explained that "Apple's goal is...