Apple iOS 18 update has genius iPhone feature that will be a life-saver when travelling

Apple have rolled out a bunch of improvements to iPhones with the new iOS 18 update. Fans have a range of new app upgrades and features to play with, including improvements to Photos, Messages, Maps and more.

One new feature in particular will be of great interest to those who travel abroad regularly.

The calculator app has been a staple of the iPhone pretty much since the device was launched, letting everyone have a powerful calculator in their pocket at all times (take that, Math teachers).

Instagram influencer and self-described ‘Cheap Holiday Expert’ Chelsea posted a video praising a new feature of the Calculator app, proclaiming it to be a ‘lifesaver’ for travelers. Chelsea has over 375,000 followers on Instagram who eagerly await her advice on how to get the most out of their holiday without breaking the bank.

Latest iPhone update includes lots of new features (Tomohiro Ohsumi / Getty Images)

Chelsea said she was ‘absolutely chuffed’ with the feature, explaining that it would be invaluable for those who regularly go abroad. The new feature is an update to the calculator app that allows user to easily convert currencies.

For those who need to regularly travel overseas or those who need to deal with multiple currencies for business this function is extremely useful. Chelsea posted to social media saying: “Anyone else LOVE THIS or am I the only saddo?! Yep - the iPhone calculator now doubles up as fee currency converter.”

Chelsea explained that she had previously used another app for the specific purpose of currency conversion, but that app had recently introduced adverts, which negatively affected her experience of using it.

iOS 18 Calculator app can now convert currency (Apple)

Since the calculator app is a core part of iOS, it is of course completely free and has no pesky adverts to detract from the user experience.

As Chelsea confirmed, the enhanced calculator app with currency conversion only works in iOS 18. It does, however, still work when offline. Though it will default back to using the exchange rate that was correct when the device was last online.

The enhanced calculator app can also convert units of measurements, such as gallons to liters or inches to centimeters. Again, this feature could be very useful to travelers or those who need to order parts from suppliers in other countries.

To use this feature, users will need to have a modern iPhone such as an iPhone 16, or iPhone 15 Pro, and upgrade to iOS 18.