May 6, 2025, 12:13 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
In the group chat, ideas are buzzing. Plans for the next bowling trip are underway, or it’s time for the family shopping. How much do three nights at the chosen hotel cost again, or what about the five cases of water? At least on the iPhone, you can now calculate this directly in the chat window. We’ll show you how it works.
For smaller amounts, calculations can be done quickly in your head. But when the amounts get larger and aren’t whole numbers, the brain cells start to sweat. Most smartphones come with a calculator, but only as a separate app. Since the iPhone update to iOS 18, a calculator has been integrated into the iPhone keyboard, allowing users to perform calculations directly via the virtual keyboard.
Hidden Calculator in the iPhone Keyboard
Using the new iPhone calculator is incredibly simple. Instead of opening the calculator app, users can perform basic calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and even exponentiation directly through the keyboard.
Whether in a chat window or in Spotlight search — anywhere a text field appears above the keyboard, the calculator can be used. Just enter the numbers and select the desired operation (+, -, /, *, ^, or parentheses), and the keyboard already suggests the result. If it doesn’t work, simply enter the equals sign — done.
Note that the calculator function on the iPhone doesn’t work everywhere. For example, in settings or in Safari, where there are no real text fields, calculations won’t work.
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Android Left Out
Unfortunately, the keyboard calculator currently only works on the iPhone and other Apple devices. This feature is not yet available on Android smartphones. So, while iPhone users can perform calculations directly in WhatsApp, Android users miss out.
However, Google’s Gboard keyboard for Android smartphones does have a built-in translator. You can access the Gboard options via the four squares in the upper left corner and select the translator.
What also works on Android devices in WhatsApp is converting measurements into other units.
If you want to know how many meters 78 kilometers are, for example:
- Type “78km” into the chat window.
- Highlight the text.
- Click on “Convert” in the pop-up menu, or select the conversion suggestion directly.