iOS 18 might bring math-related functions to Apple’s Notes app, with the new feature said to integrate with a redesigned Calculator app.
Sources familiar with early versions of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS 15 told Marko Zivkovic at AppleInsider that mathematicians will like an upgraded Notes apps.
A new Math Notes feature might bring mathematic notation to the Notes app. It should live alongside other supported note types such as receipts, shopping lists, images and videos, imported PDF files, scanned documents, etc.
Moreover, the rumored feature is thought to integrate information from the stock Calculator app (said to see design changes across iPhone, iPad and Mac).
iOS 18’s Notes app could gain support for displaying mathematic notation
“Users will be able to open Math Notes from the Calculator app through a dedicated option or button, allowing for quick and easy navigation,” reads the report.
This information wasn’t corroborated by other sources at press time. AppleInsider wasn’t shown the user interface, nor has the publication seen Math Notes in action. “The exact implementation of this new feature, however, remains to be seen.”
Apple will release the first public betas of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, macOS 15, tvOS 18, visionOS 2 and other new software following the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote, scheduled to take place on June 10 at 10am PT.
Math functions in Microsoft OneNote
AppleInsider reasons that adding mathematical annotation would make sense in terms of rivaling Microsoft’s OneNote app, which has well-developed support for advanced math-related functions.
For example, you can add a mathematical equation to your note in OneNote, and the app will leverage artificial intelligence to solve it. In a similar vein, OneNote can create proper formulas from your handwriting.
“By adding Math Notes to its application, Apple could capture a portion of the market that currently relies on rival applications for work,” Zivkovic argues. “Educators, students, scientists and engineers are among the groups that would benefit from the addition of Math Notes.”