You’re traveling or shopping abroad and stumble on a price in a currency you can’t convert in your head? No more mental math or app-hunting: your iPhone handles it instantly via context menu, Calculator or Camera. Find out here how to convert currencies instantly on your iPhone ⤓.
First, the Birch Bird
The largest airplane to take flight in the first century of aviation was the Hughes H-4 Hercules. We know the plane as the “Spruce Goose”, of course, because it was made mostly of — birch tree.
On the way from plan to plane, much of the intended use of spruce was replaced with bits of birch, but the original nickname stuck.
Either way, if converting between spruce and birch worked for a plane, surely converting between 120 000 Yen and Peruvian Sols will work for a plane ticket:
How to Convert Currencies Instantly on Your iPhone
Convert Currencies with the iPhone Context Menu
Time needed: 1 minute
To see foreign currencies converted to your default iPhone currency quickly using the context menu:
- Highlight the currency amount together with the currency’s name or symbol.
Underlined currency: In apps that recognize amounts of currency, you will see the amount and the currency symbol, name or abbreviation marked out with a single underline.
- Tap > to expand the context menu.
Underlined: With an underlined currency amount, tap the underlined text to see it converted; tap the converted amount in the context menu to copy it.
- Find the amount converted to your device’s default currency in the context menu.
Beyond the inflation of currencies?
Tips help fuel these email and tech how-tos.
Convert Currencies with the iPhone Camera
To convert to your iPhone’s default currency right in the Camera app:
- Point the camera at the currency amount you want to convert.
Point or picture: You need not take a picture to convert, but you can convert from an image as well, of course. - Tap the OCR button to have the iPhone recognize text.
- Now tap the underlined monetary amount plus currency symbol to see it converted to the default currency.
Alternative: You can also tap the extracted text at the bottom.
Copy: Tap the amount in your default currency to copy it.
No underline: If the iPhone Camera does not recognize the currency amount, you can select and copy the number to convert using the Calculator app; see below.
While you’re out and about: How to Use iPhone Calendar with a Different Time Zone
Change Your iPhone’s Default Currency
To change the iPhone default currency——which also is the currency for context menu conversions:
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to the General category.
- Choose Langauge & Region.
- Tap Region.
- Choose the region whose currency you want to use.
How to Convert Currencies Instantly on Your iPhone: FAQ
Does the iPhone use a current conversion rate?
Yes.
iOS retrieves the latest rate from Yahoo Finance for converting currencies.
Typing currency symbols: How to Type Hidden Special Characters on iPhone Keyboard
Can I convert to a currency other than the region’s default?
Yes.
To convert between arbitrary currencies on iPhone:
- Copy the numerical amount you want to convert.
Currency abbreviations: You can copy the amount together with the currency name or abbreviation (such as “USD”); when you paste in Calculator later, the non-numeric characters will be ignored. - Open Calculator on the iPhone.
- Tap the calculator button.
- First, select Basic or Scientific from the menu.
Here’s why: Math Notes mode lets you easily convert to the default currency, but not to custom currencies. - Tap the calculator button again.
- Now select Convert so it is checked.
- Paste or type the amount you want to convert in the upper or lower row.
Here’s how: Tap and hold in the row, then select Paste from the context menu to paste. - Choose the origin and the target currencies from the row’s menus.
Their word: Apple include information on converting units using Calendar in the iPhone User Guide.
(Tested with iOS 26; first published May 2026)