Convert Distance, Currency, and More in iOS 18 Beta Calculator
Apple released the third public beta of iOS 18 on August 6, nearly two months after the company announced the update at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. The beta brings many new features to the iPhones of developers and beta testers, such as the ability to hide and lock certain apps. But the beta also adds a conversion feature to your Calculator app, making it easy to convert miles to kilometers, U.S. dollars to euros, and more.
Read more: An expert’s guide to all the features in the iOS 18 betas
While iOS 18 is still in beta development, I recommend downloading it on something other than your primary device. Since this isn’t the final version of iOS 18, the update may be buggy and your battery life may be affected. I downloaded it on my old iPhone XR to keep those issues far away from my iPhone 14 Pro.
It’s also important to note that this isn’t the final version of iOS 18, so more features may land on your iPhone when iOS 18 comes out. Apple has said that iOS 18 would be released to the public this fall, but there’s no firm date yet.
Here’s how to make quick conversions using the calculator app.
How to Use Your Conversion Calculator
1. Open your Calculator app.
2. Tap the calculator icon in the bottom left corner of your screen next to the 0 figure.
3. Tap the switch next to Transfer.
The input area for your calculator, the area just above the numbers and buttons, is split into an upper and lower field with separate values in each. By default, you enter values in the upper field and convert to the lower field. Tapping the arrows to the left of your values will change your input to the lower field and convert to the upper.
To change what you’re converting — such as distance or area — tap the value indicator to the right of your top or bottom value. This will open a menu where you can search for different units by entering them into the search bar at the top of the menu.
You can also scroll through a carousel below the search bar and tap on different unit categories, such as Area, Currency, and Temperature. Tap on the category you want, and then tap on the appropriate unit. So if you want to convert grams for a recipe, tap Weight Than Gram.
Once you choose the unit, you’ll be taken back to the main screen of the calculator. Now you need to tap the value indicator next to the other value — again, above or below — and select which unit you want to convert to. You should already be in the correct unit category, so all you need to do is select which unit you want to convert to — so if you want to convert grams to pounds, you just need to tap Pounds.
Now, if you see a recipe that calls for 500 grams of pasta, you can quickly convert that if needed. That’s about a pound of pasta.
Look at this: iOS 18 Hands-On: Exploring the Big Design Changes
For more information on iOS 18, you can read my hands-on with the beta here , read what you need to know about RCS messaging , and read our iOS 18 cheat sheet .
