People realise they’ve been using the iPhone calculator app wrong

Mental maths has gone out of the window since we all got smartphones with calculators installed.

Whether you're working out a bill, totting up your monthly expenses or checking if you can afford that pricey purchase, we all rely on the handy app to help us with our arithmetic.

However, it seems that many of us haven't been using this tool to it's full potential and have been unaware of a string of hacks which can make your sums that much simpler to work out.

Take a look here:

It turns out that we don't have to erase all of our hard work by clicking 'C' when we accidentally make a mistake with the numbers.

There is actually a much more efficient way to clean up your mess, unbeknownst to most Apple customers.

The calculator app on your iPhone allows you to easily delete individual numbers, so you can avoid disrupting your adding up by having to wipe the slate clean.

By simply swiping left or right across the display, you can get rid of the unwanted digit and pick up where you left off.

So you can say goodbye to erasing all of your calculations for the sake of one simple error.

It's as easy as one, two, three, like The Jackson Five said.

If you're looking to save time while doing your sums, there's also a trick for that too.

Getty stock image

You can actually copy your last result without even needing to go into the app. If you've just finished a calculation, and you've headed over to a different app, you can copy your last result without even going back into the calculator.

Simply tap the app, hold down, and an icon will appear with the option to copy your last figure.

While many of us think the iPhone calculator is a simple tool, it's actually got heaps of features. For example, you can also turn the app into a scientific calculator too.

To do this, first ensure that your screen orientation isn't locked, as you'll need to flip your phone lengthways to reveal the scientific buttons.

Jozef Mikietyn/Alamy Stock Photo

Once you've checked it's not locked, turn it on its side to access the scientific calculator - which provides logarithmic and trigonometric functions.

The scientific calculator even has its own secret functions, too, with more features to be revealed if you simply hit the button that reads '2nd'.

And in a rather quirky feature, the scientific calculator also allows users to randomly generate numbers - which could be useful in a game for example - by hitting the 'Rand' button on the bottom right side.

If you need to switch between the standard calculator and the scientific, you can easily do that too, without losing any of your calculations.

The app will keep hold of any calculations even if you rotate into the other mode, so you won't lose any progress.

Topics: Technology, iPhone, Phones, Hacks

Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

@livburke_