The Calculator app in macOS 15 will get a new look, reminiscent of its counterpart for iOS
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Exclusive: Apple is working on the most important update to its application Calculator in recent years, and the version being tested in early beta versions of macOS 15 has brand new features and exciting improvements to the unit conversion system
Following our previous report detailing the improvements Apple is preparing for its apps. Notes, AppleInsider has received new details about the massive design changes Apple has planned for the Mac version of the Calculator app.
According to people familiar with the situation, Apple is internally testing a much improved version of its Calculator app, codenamed “GreyParrot” — an unmistakable reference to the African gray parrot, a species of parrot widely known for its intelligence and cognitive abilities.
With this in mind, it's easy to imagine that Apple plans to make a number of improvements to the app to make it more powerful and competitive. In addition to Math Notes, a feature we reported on earlier this week, the updated Calculator app will get a new history feed in the form of a sidebar that displays an overview of previous calculations.
Adding a history feed will make it much easier to access and use previous calculations. Instead of relying on a separate app to store numbers or sums, users will be able to stay in the macOS Calculator app and keep track of their recent calculations more efficiently.
AppleInsider also learned that in the application, the history feed can be accessed using a special button in the upper left corner of the application window. The button will give users the ability to toggle the history feed from all three views of the calculator—basic, scientific, and programmer.
The Calculator app in macOS 15 will get a new look, reminiscent of its iOS counterpart
The most striking change to date is the new design. In macOS 15, the Calculator app should have a design reminiscent of its iOS counterpart, with rounded buttons and darker shades of black throughout the app. This is a significant change from the boxy look the app has had over the years, with the iOS 7-style design still present in macOS Sonoma.
Apple has rarely updated the macOS Calculator app with meaningful changes. The last major design update came almost a decade ago, when Apple released macOS 10.0 Yosemite. Apple's goal then was to introduce a new flat user interface across all of its operating systems and replace the previous skeuomorphic look through a design refresh.
In addition to the planned design change, the application may receive another important improvement – adjustable window size. There is currently no option in macOS Sonoma to resize the app window without selecting a different calculator view. The next version of macOS should give users the ability to customize the Calculator app window size to suit their needs across all three Calculator views, allowing for greater versatility.
When you change the size of the application window, the size of individual buttons and number keys in the Calculator application increases accordingly in versions of the software tested internally. The buttons are said to change shape as the window size changes, taking on a tablet shape when the app window is large, or shrinking to circles when the window size is smaller, mimicking the look of an iPhone calculator.
Math notes in macOS 15
As detailed in our previous report on the Apple Notes app for iOS 18 and its planned improvements, the updated version of the Calculator app will also support Math Notes. Math Notes will essentially promote integration between the Calculator and Notes apps, giving users the ability to create notes with math elements or math notation.
By introducing Math Notes, Apple will give its Calculator and Notes apps a better chance to compete with competing products currently on the market, such as Microsoft OneNote or the Soulver 3 calculator app. OneNote has had math annotations for several years now, and Microsoft recently released a version of the app for Apple Vision Pro.
Converting units of measurement in macOS 15
Unit conversions are expected to become much more intuitive with an updated version of the Apple Calculator app. One of the main drawbacks of the current version of the application is the fact that users cannot perform unit conversions and mathematical operations at the same time.
With Project Gray Parrot, Apple aims to address these shortcomings by significantly improving the unit conversion system and the way it works. Instead of presenting the user with a series of drop-down menus and then forcing them to perform desired unit conversions before calculating anything, the new and improved Calculator app will include unit conversions in the main user interface when enabled.
Keep track of your recent calculations with the new History Tape feature
With this, Apple will give users the ability to seamlessly perform their chosen math operations as unit conversions will be performed automatically. Once the selected calculation is complete, the result is instantly converted to the selected unit of measurement and displayed below the result in the original unit of measurement.
Apple's improved unit conversion scheme could benefit a wide range of users. People who travel frequently or regularly use multiple types of currencies will be able to quickly calculate amounts, taxes, rates and prices.
To convert currencies, the new Calculator app uses an Internet connection and gets current exchange rates from a trusted third party, according to people familiar with the software. Engineers or scientists working with reports from other regions can easily convert values to their preferred units.
How does it compare to the competition?
Apple has been known to adapt ideas found in competing products or services, jailbreak tweaks, and improvements to third-party OSes. The macOS 15 version of the Calculator app appears to be no exception in this regard.
PCalc for macOS, image copyright: TLA Systems Ltd.
As for direct competitors, Apple could take inspiration from Calcbot. The macOS app received an Apple Editors' Choice award, which should be a significant indicator of the app's overall quality. Calcbot has a more user-friendly unit conversion interface that is somewhat reminiscent of the implementation Apple is currently testing with macOS 15.
PCalc is another third-party app that may have an advantage over the macOS calculator in terms of default. application. Another Apple Editors' Choice Award winner. The application allows users to perform calculations by displaying unit conversion options in a separate window. As with Calcbot, the approach taken by PCalc allows users to track information relatively easily and improves usability by saving the user time.
However, it is always important to remember that not all features make it to release for one reason or another. Apple has been known to delay, cancel, or simplify new operating systems for a number of reasons, so ultimately there's no guarantee that the Calculator app for macOS 15 will ever see the light of day.
Beyond the updated macOS calculator, we should see Apple introduce a host of improvements to its next-generation operating systems later this year. On-device AI features, custom scenes, and adaptive voice shortcuts are among the things that are likely to debut at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 10.
Rumor Score
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