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The Calculator app is astir apt 1 of Apple's most-used iPhone apps, yet I ever conscionable radical who don't cognize each the small tricks determination are to utilizing it much efficiently. You whitethorn cognize astir of them, but there's a accidental you don't oregon astatine slightest hide astir immoderate of them.
What a "hidden trick" is to immoderate radical mightiness beryllium evident to others, truthful consciousness escaped to skip close by the ones you already cognize successful the beneath list. This roundup is for everyone, from a full smartphone newbie to idiosyncratic who's owned iPhones since iPhones were a thing, and adjacent nonrecreational mathematicians. For the astir part, I've sorted it from the easiest, astir intuitive actions to the much precocious ones, truthful skip up if you request to.
Tip 1: Open the Calculator successful Various Ways
OK, truthful this is beauteous obvious...or is it? Yes, you tin pat the Calculator app icon connected the Home Screen, but determination are different ways to unfastened Calculator. Here are conscionable immoderate of the ways you could bash it:
- Tap its icon connected the Home Screen.
- Tap its icon successful the App Library. (iOS 14 and later.)
- Tap its icon successful Search. (See Tip 8 below.)
- Tap its icon successful Control Center.
- Say oregon type "Calculator" to Siri oregon Hey Siri.
- Say "Open Calculator" erstwhile Voice Control is on. (iOS 13 and later.)
- Double- oregon triple-tap the backmost of your iPhone. (iOS 14 and aboriginal — spot Tip 17 below.)
- Tap its icon connected your Lock Screen using a third-party Lock Screen widget maker. (iOS 16 and aboriginal — spot Tip 18 below.)
- Open it from a customized shortcut via a Home Screen oregon Today View widget, the Shortcuts app, Siri oregon Hey Siri, Search, an AssistiveTouch action, oregon double- oregon triple-tap the backmost of your iPhone.
- Have it unfastened by itself utilizing assorted Shortcuts automation scenarios. (See Tip 20 below.)
Tip 2: Unlock the Scientific Calculator
You've astir apt stumbled upon this by accident, but I cognize immoderate radical who've ne'er turned their iPhone sideways but to ticker Netflix oregon Hulu. So rotate your iPhone into scenery orientation, and the calculator volition alteration automatically from the modular calculator (for basal arithmetic calculations) to the scientific calculator (for exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions).
You'll find much precocious options similar cosine (cos), tangent (tan), quadrate basal (v), earthy logarithm (ln), and the pseudo-random fig generator (Rand) that are astir utile for science, engineering, and precocious mathematics.
Tip 3: Erase Digits You Just Entered
If you meant to benignant 523 alternatively of 532, "Shake to Undo" won't region your past fewer digits since that diagnostic is disabled successful Calculator. But there's an easier mode to region digits entered. Just swipe either near oregon close connected the fig field, oregon really, anyplace supra the keys, and the past digit volition beryllium deleted. If you request to get escaped of two, swipe again. Three? You get the picture. If it's the full fig you request to redo, spot the adjacent tip.
Tip 4: Erase Whole Numbers You Just Entered
Whenever you benignant an full incorrect number, there's a ace speedy mode to hole the mistake. Again, "Shake to Undo" won't enactment since it's disabled successful Calculator. Instead, you tin conscionable wide the show utilizing the "C" key, which stands for "Clear." It won't erase each of your advancement — conscionable the past entry. So if you entered 1,242 x 324 but meant it to beryllium 1,242 x 423, deed "C," past participate 423 and proceed with your calculation.
Tip 5: Start All Over Again
If you request to commencement from scratch, you'll privation to usage the "AC" key, which stands for "All Clear." If you don't spot an "AC" button, that's due to the fact that it lone appears aft you've cleared the display, truthful you'll person to deed "C" archetypal earlier "AC" volition look successful its place. Tap that to commencement each implicit again. (Note that force-quitting Calculator won't enactment since it volition inactive retrieve your past result.)
Tip 6: Copy and Paste Numbers
Apple's assistance pages lone mentioned 1 mode to transcript and paste numbers successful Calculator, but determination are galore antithetic ways to spell astir it. If you're trying to paste a fig in, you'll lone spot a "Paste" enactment if you already person a fig stored successful your clipboard.
- Tap and clasp the fig presently displayed. Tap "Copy" successful the paper to transcript the number, oregon pat "Paste" if you person a fig stored successful your clipboard that you privation to usage successful the calculation.
- Double-tap the fig presently displayed. Tap "Copy" successful the paper to transcript the number, oregon pat "Paste" if you person a fig stored successful your clipboard that you privation to usage successful the calculation.
- Tap the show with 3 fingers. Tap the Copy icon (middle button) to transcript the fig presently displayed, oregon pat the Paste icon (to the close of Copy) if you person a fig stored successful your clipboard that you privation to usage successful the calculation. (iOS 13 and aboriginal only.)
- Pinch the show with 3 fingers. This volition transcript the presently displayed number. Doing this successful a blank abstraction is better, truthful you don't accidentally deed a button.
- Tap the show with 3 fingers and dispersed them. Think of it arsenic the other of a three-finger pinch. This volition paste the presently displayed number. (iOS 13 and aboriginal only.)
Tip 7: Copy the Last Result
If you're inactive successful the Calculator app and request to transcript the existent result, you would usage 1 of the options above. However, if you're nary longer successful the Calculator app, determination are inactive a fewer ways to bash it.
- Swipe unfastened the Control Center, past long-press the Calculator icon.
- Long-press the Calculator app icon connected the Home Screen.
- Long-press the Calculator app icon successful the App Library.
- Long-press the Calculator app icon successful Spotlight Search.
Either way, you'll spot an enactment to "Copy Last Result," which volition database the past effect truthful you cognize it's the close one. Your past effect should adjacent amusement up aft force-quitting Calculator.
Tip 8: Perform Calculations successful Search
Now that we've mentioned Spotlight Search, it's bully to cognize that you tin execute mathematical calculations close from it alternatively of opening the Calculator app.
To unfastened Search, swipe down connected your Home Screen oregon Today View. You tin entree the second by swiping close connected your Lock Screen, archetypal Home Screen page, and adjacent your pull-down Notification Center. On iOS 16, you tin besides pat "Search" supra the dock. If you usage Spotlight Search frequently, you tin adjacent assign it to a Back Tap gesture truthful you tin pat the backmost of your iPhone to unfastened it.
In Search, participate your equation oregon formula. A container straight underneath the Search tract volition look with your result. Tap that, and it'll instrumentality you close to Calculator with the effect already entered, successful lawsuit you privation to proceed your mathematics occupation there.
For the implicit database of calculations you tin execute successful Spotlight, cheque retired our usher connected utilizing Spotlight arsenic a calculator connected the iPad, which doesn't person a banal Calculator app similar iPhone does.
You won't beryllium capable to execute precocious calculations since the keys bounds you connected your keyboard, but that's solvable by installing a keyboard with much calculator functions. Third-party keyboards you tin usage successful Search see Numboard – Scientific Keyboard, Calcul Keyboard, Calculator KeyBoard, Calculator Keyboard - Faster, and SciKey - Scientific Keyboard. However, not each mathematical operators, symbols, variables, constants, and functions are supported successful Search, truthful you whitethorn inactive request to unfastened Calculator if you spot ones that don't work.
Tip 9: Make Siri Do the Work for You
Whether you usage Type to Siri, Hey Siri, oregon the Siri shortcut, you tin inquire it to execute your calculations for you, successful immoderate cases, without lifting a finger. Just accidental thing like:
- "What's 74 times 14?"
- "What's 28 percent of 225?"
- "What's one-third of 456?"
If you effort to inquire it much precocious problems, similar algebraic expressions, Siri whitethorn not usage Calculator to springiness you results. Instead, it whitethorn usage WolframAlpha oregon Safari to get you solutions oregon links to imaginable answers. In different cases, it whitethorn springiness you a incorrect reply utilizing Calculator due to the fact that it doesn't recognize the problem, specified arsenic "What's 15% of 45% of 1.4?" (it's 0.0945, not 6.75).
Tip 10: Rethink How You Use the Buttons
When utilizing Calculator, astir of you volition participate a number, deed a symbol, benignant successful immoderate much numbers, deed different symbol, etc. But that's not the lone mode to bash it. Let's accidental you privation to person % into decimal form. Typically, you would benignant the number, past deed the % key. However, you tin pat and clasp the % cardinal first, past benignant the fig and fto spell of the % cardinal to get the aforesaid result. Try it with different buttons and symbols, and you mightiness find that it's faster successful immoderate cases.
Tip 11: Tap '2nd' to Find More Options
If you're caller to technological calculators, this whitethorn travel successful handy. Since each the options won't acceptable connected the keyboard, you tin pat the "2nd" cardinal to alteration immoderate of the different keys. For instance, misdeed volition crook into sin-1, ln into logY, eX to yX, etc.
Tip 12: Get a Random Number
In the technological calculator, there's a "RAND" key, which is simply a random generator relation that produces a fig betwixt zero (0) and 1 (1). More specifically, it's a pseudo-random fig due to the fact that bundle cannot randomly make the result of unpredictable earthy phenomena similar rolling dice oregon measuring atmospheric noise. With it, you tin execute a calculation specified arsenic emulating rolling dice. This blog post tin explicate it amended than I can.
Tip 13: Make Your iPhone Speak the Numbers
If you privation to cognize however the fig is spoken, you tin marque your iPhone talk it to you. In the Calculator app, you tin pat and clasp the existent fig oregon double-tap it, past prime "Speak" from the paper to perceive it spoken arsenic words oregon "Spell" to person each digit and awesome spoken individually successful order. If you don't spot these paper options, alteration them via the "Accessibility" preferences successful Settings:
- Spoken Content –> Speak Selection (iOS 13 and later)
- Speech –> Speak Selection (iOS 12 and older)
Note that Apple whitethorn person adjusted however the Speak Selection instrumentality works successful the Calculator connected iOS 16, truthful you whitethorn not spot "Spell" look successful the contextual menu. You volition inactive spot "Speak," though.
Tip 14: Bold and Resize Numbers and Text
If you deliberation the numbers oregon buttons are hard to spot successful Calculator, you tin bold oregon enlarge immoderate of the characters.
While you tin alteration the substance size from the Text Size power successful Control, either for Calculator oregon system-wide, it's easier to automate it truthful you ne'er person to woody with it again. And determination is nary Control Center fastener for bolding text, truthful automation is adjacent amended successful this case.
On iOS 15 oregon later, spell to Settings –> Accessibility –> Per-App Settings, past prime Calculator. If it's not there, adhd it first. Then, you tin alteration the Bold Text and Larger Text options to acceptable your needs.
Bolding substance volition impact the entered numbers and results, arsenic good arsenic the buttons, but Larger Text volition lone impact the entered numbers and results, and lone for tiny numbers since the numbers auto-shrink erstwhile they get longer and longer. Note that the different Per-App Settings person nary existent effect successful Calculator.
Tip 15: Change the Calculator's Color Manually
There aren't galore ways to alteration the Calculator's colors, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Dark Mode connected iOS 13 and aboriginal doesn't impact it since the Calculator already has a acheronian theme, and Smart Invert does thing to the taxable either.
However, you could use Classic Invert, Color Filters, oregon Reduce White Point successful your iPhone's Accessibility settings to marque it look however you want. Classic Invert changes the look to an inverted colour scheme. The Color Filters paper gives you galore options, from Grayscale to Red/Green to Green/Red and Blue/Yellow, and you tin adjacent tint the surface with immoderate hue. Reduce White Point conscionable dims the screen. You tin entree these options via the Settings app:
- Accessibility –> Display & Text Size (iOS 13 and later)
- General –> Accessibility –> Display Accommodations (iOS 12 and older)
Zoom Filters besides work, which fto you take Inverted, Grayscale, Grayscale Inverted, and Low Light appearances. You tin entree these options via Settings:
- Accessibility –> Zoom –> Zoom Filters (iOS 13 and later)
- General –> Accessibility –> Zoom –> Zoom Filters (iOS 12 and older)
To marque these much useful, adhd them to the "Accessibility Shortcut" successful the "Accessibility" preferences. Then, triple-click the Side oregon Home fastener to activate it erstwhile successful Calculator, past bash it again erstwhile leaving Calculator. Alternatively, adhd the Accessibility Shortcuts power to Control Center to toggle them.
- Full Guide: Customize Colors for All the Apps connected Your iPhone to Match How You Use Them Most (Or Just for Fun)
Tip 16: Change the Calculator's Color Automatically
If you similar the Shortcuts app, you tin usage it connected iOS 14 and aboriginal to make an automation that volition alteration Calculator's colour strategy each clip you unfastened the app, past instrumentality it to mean whenever the app's closed. I won't spell implicit the process here, but you tin spot how to physique the automation successful our implicit guide. Below, you tin spot Classic Invert successful enactment (left) and Grayscale (right).
And portion Smart Invert won't alteration Calculator's colors by itself, it tin enactment with different options, similar Color Filters. To instrumentality the strain disconnected a analyzable automation, you tin usage Per-App Settings to toggle Smart Invert for Calculator, past fto your automation bash the rest.
Tip 17: Tap Your iPhone's Back to Open Calculator
Apple introduced Back Tap connected iOS 14, an accessibility diagnostic that lets you double- oregon triple-tap the backmost of your iPhone 8 oregon aboriginal to trigger an enactment of your choice.
To marque it unfastened up Calculator, you would make a caller shortcut and adhd 1 action: "Open App," with "Calculator" being that app. Then, spell to Settings –> Accessibility –> Touch –> Back Tap. Choose either "Double Tap" oregon "Triple Tap," and prime the shortcut you created. Now, whenever you pat the Apple logo connected the backmost of your iPhone, Calculator volition open.
Tip 18: Use a Lock Screen Shortcut to Open Calculator
It's beauteous casual to propulsion unfastened the Control Center connected your Lock Screen and pat the Calculator control, but there's an adjacent faster way: enactment a shortcut close connected the Lock Screen. If you've disabled Control Center entree connected your Lock Screen for information reasons, a Calculator shortcut makes adjacent much sense.
On iOS 16, you tin usage a third-party app similar Launchify to make a Lock Screen widget to unfastened Calculator. It's 1 of the coolest iOS 16 features, and you tin bash this for immoderate app that doesn't already person its ain Lock Screen widget — oregon for immoderate app that does if you privation to customize the icon.
Tip 19: Choose a Different App Icon
While Calculator isn't an app that lets you alteration its app icon itself, you tin inactive customize its quality connected your location screen.
To bash so, you request to set up a shortcut that opens the Calculator app (you conscionable request to adhd the "Open App" enactment and acceptable the app to Calculator), past alteration that shortcut's icon earlier oregon aft adding it to your location surface arsenic a bookmark. Remove the existent Calculator app from your location screen, and immoderate clip you pat the bookmark, Calculator volition open.
Tip 20: Set Up Advanced Shortcuts
While we're connected the taxable of shortcuts, that brings america to our past tip. The Shortcuts app volition fto you physique astir immoderate trigger-action scenario, automation, oregon task, and the Calculator has a fewer actions that you tin incorporated into your workflows. I won't spell into however to usage each since each could beryllium a full article, but I'll see their descriptions.
- Calculate: Performs a fig cognition connected the input and returns the result. (Input: Boolean, Workout sample, Text, File size, Time interval, Date, Blood pressure, Number, Health sample, Current Amount, Measurement — Results: Numbers)
- Calculate Statistics: Calculates statistic connected the numbers that are provided arsenic input. (Input: Booleans, Workout samples, Text, File sizes, Time intervals, Dates, Blood pressures, Numbers, Health samples, Current Amounts, Measurements — Results: Numbers)
- Calculate Expression: Evaluates the mathematical look successful the fixed input drawstring and outputs the effect arsenic a number. (Input: Text — Output: Number)
- Format Number: Formats a fig into text. (Input: Booleans, Numbers — Result: Text)
- Get Numbers from Input: Returns numbers from the erstwhile action's output. (Input: Booleans, Workout samples, Text, File sizes, Time intervals, Dates, Blood pressures, Numbers, Health samples, Currency Amounts, Measurements — Result: Numbers)
- Number: Passes a fig to the adjacent action. (Result: Number)
- Random Number: Passes a random fig betwixt the fixed minimum and maximum to the adjacent action. The minimum and maximum numbers are included arsenic imaginable results. (Result: Number)
- Round Number: Rounds the number(s) passed into the action. (Input: Numbers — Result: Numbers)
Other related actions:
- Base64 Encode: Encodes oregon decodes substance oregon files utilizing Base64 encoding. (Input: Text, Files — Result: Text)
- Convert Measurement: Converts the measurements passed into the enactment to the specified unit. (Input: Measurement, Air Pollutant, Trip Info — Result: Measurement)
- Count: Counts the fig of items, characters, words, sentences, oregon lines passed arsenic input. (Input: Anything, Text — Result: Number — Note: This is conscionable similar the Count successful Sesame Street, but alternatively of a vampire, it's a Shortcuts action.)
- Format File Size: Formats a record size into text. (Input: File sizes, Numbers (A record size from different action, oregon a fig of bytes) — Result: Text — Note: 1000 bytes are shown arsenic 1 KB.)
- Measurement: Passes the specified measurement (including fig and unit) to the adjacent action. (Result: Measurement)
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