How to Use Calculator on a Mac

Last Updated: October 8, 2020 Tested

Imagine that you need a calculator and you don't have one handy right now. Just flip out your iPhone, iTouch, or your mac to get access to calculating math problems instantly. This application and app is a great and neat way to do math problems.

Steps

1
Double Click on the Icon to open it.
- You should then come to a screen looking like this.
2
If it is a simple problem you can leave it on this screen. Such as, what is 80 percent of 340.

Method 1

Method 1 of 7:

Clearing Numbers

1
You can clear the number in Calculator’s display window or clear only the last digit entered.
2
To clear the number in the display window, click the C key in Calculator
3
To delete the last digit entered, press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Method 2

Method 2 of 7:

Hearing Your Calculations

1
When using Calculator, you can have the computer speak each button you click and tell you the result of a calculation.
2
To have the computer speak the value or function of each key you click, choose Speech > Speak Button Pressed.
3
To have the computer speak the result of a calculation when you click the Equal Sign key (=), choose Speech > Speak Result.

Method 3

Method 3 of 7:

Performing Programmer's Calculations

1
The programmer’s calculator performs calculations that programmers frequently use. It can convert values to hexadecimal, octal, or decimal; perform logical operations; display your results in binary; and rotate or shift bits.
2
Choose View > Programmer.
3
The programmer’s calculator works with integers only. There is no decimal point. If a computation results in a floating-point number, the decimal is truncated. For example, if you enter 99 / 10 =, the result is 9.
4
The Decimal Places setting in the View menu doesn’t affect the programmer’s calculator. The Paper Tape and memory functions aren’t available for the programmer’s calculator.

Method 4

Method 4 of 7:

Rounding Calculations

1
You can round results by specifying a given number of decimal places.
2
Choose View > Decimal Places, and then choose the number of decimal places you want displayed.

Method 5

Method 5 of 7:

Storing Values

1
To add the displayed value to the value in memory, click M+.
2
To subtract the displayed value from the value in memory, click M-.
3
To recall the value in memory and use it in a calculation, click MR.
4
To clear the memory, click MC.

Method 6

Method 6 of 7:

Converting Currencies

1
You can use Calculator to convert currency values from one currency to another.
2
Enter the original value in Calculator.
3
Choose Convert > Currency.
4
Choose the original currency from the From pop-up menu and the currency you want to convert to from the To pop-up menu.
5
Click OK.

Method 7

Method 7 of 7:

Converting Units of Measure

1
Enter the original value in Calculator.
2
Choose Convert > any measurement category. Categories include Length,Temperature, Power, Speed, and so on.
3
Choose the original unit of measure from the From pop-up menu and the unit of measure you want to convert to from the To pop-up menu.

Community Q&A

Question

Is it possible to add other currencies or conversions to the calculator?

Liza Gaylord

Community Answer

Not possible, sorry. The calculator that comes installed on Macs is very fixed. You will probably need online calculators to do this. (Google does this very well if you type your needed calculation into the search bar.)
Question

The equals sign is gone from my Mac Calculator. How may I restore it?

Community Answer

Delete it, then do cmd+space and type calculator. It will pop back up and it will be restored.
Question

How do I keep my calculator icon in the task bar on my Mac?

Community Answer

When you have the app open, right-click on the icon in the task bar and select "Pin to Task Bar."