The hidden calculator every iPad user should know

Apple has provided iPhone models with a handy calculator, but that app was never brought to the iPad. That’s a bit strange, since Apple’s tablet is extremely suitable for productivity purposes. Yet there is a secret calculator hidden in your tablet. OMT editor Sabine explains how that works.

Steve Jobs didn’t want the iPhone’s Calculator app on the iPad because it was simply a phone app that was awkwardly scaled down to iPad size. Why there is still none now? Because they haven’t been able to develop the right app yet, says software boss Craig Federighi.

iPad: hidden calculator

Fortunately, the hidden calculators, because there are actually two of them, contain almost all the functions you could wish for in a calculator. The first is found in Spotlight, the iPad’s search engine. You can even do math calculations here that your iPhone’s calculator can’t even handle.

To open Spotlight, first go to your iPad’s home screen. Press the center of the screen and swipe down. A window appears with a search bar at the top. If you use a keyboard, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Command+Space in any app.

Another secret method

There is another way to still use a calculator on your iPad. Like most other Apple devices, the company’s tablets come with a smart assistant. And it wouldn’t be a smart assistant if Siri couldn’t do the math for you.

Say “Hey Siri” or hold down the home button on your iPad and ask her what the result of a certain math is. For example, say “What is 92 divided by 3?” You will then be presented with the answer, which in this case is (rounded) 30.67. Thanks, Siri!