How-To

Use Apple Watch to Calculate Tip and Split the Bill

By Jeff Butts

Published April 2, 2024

If you want a quick way to calculate a tip and split the bill at a restaurant, look no further than the Calculator app on Apple Watch.

Apple works hard to make sure our Apple Watch becomes a part of our daily life. From helping us with our running routines to helping track our sleep patterns, and plenty in between, the Apple Watch is full of features. Did you know you can also use your Apple Watch to help calculate a tip and split the lunch bill quickly?

Here’s the scenario: you’ve just enjoyed a great meal in a restaurant with a group of friends, and now it’s time to pay the bill. You’ll need to figure out how much to tip. On top of that, unless someone in the group is really generous, you also need to figure out how to split the bill.

Yeah, you could just open the Calculator app on your iPhone, but there’s an even easier way to do that math. If you have an Apple Watch, its Calculator app has the feature built right in. Let me show you how to use the Apple Watch calculator to calculate the tip and split the bill.

Calculate Tip and Split the Bill with Your Apple Watch

Using your Apple Watch to calculate a tip and split the bill is simple.

1. Launch the Calculator app on your Apple Watch.
2. Type in the total of the bill, then tap the Tip button.
   
3. By default, Apple Watch will calculate the tip based on a 20% gratuity. You can rotate the Digital Crown to change this percentage. You’ll see the tip amount next to the percentage, and the total including gratuity near the bottom of the display.
   
4. If you need to split the bill, just tap the People field. Rotate the Digital Crown to select the number of people in your party. You can set this up to a maximum of 50 people. The amount each should pay appears beneath the total at the bottom of the screen.
   

Pretty easy, right? I even have the calculator set as a complication on my watch face for quick and easy access.

However, if the Tip button doesn’t appear on your Apple Watch calculator app, read on for some troubleshooting tips.

What to Do If You Don’t See a Tip Button in the Calculator App on Your Apple Watch

So, you’re trying to test out the tip function on your Apple Watch, but it isn’t there. There are two possible reasons for that. First, even though Apple has included the function with watchOS for several years already, Apple states it isn’t available in all regions.

Second, the button for the tip function is shared with the percentage key. Your Watch may be configured to show the percentage button in Calculator instead of Tip.

Making the Tip Button Reappear

Here’s how to get the Apple Watch Calculator to show the tip button instead of the percentage button.

1. On your Apple Watch, go to Settings > Calculator.
   
2. Under View Options, be sure Tip Function shows a green checkmark.
   

Even though the tip feature for Apple Watch was introduced in watchOS 6 back in 2019, it remains a somewhat hidden feature for many. Now you, groovy reader, know about it. Next time your server brings your bill, amaze your friends by figuring everything out with just a few taps on your wrist communicator.