Tech Desk 
Aug 12, 2025
Apple is overhauling the Calculator app once again in iOS 26, after many users expressed dissatisfaction with major changes made in iOS 18.
In that version, the traditional C/AC button was replaced with a backspace key, and users made Apple aware of their unhappiness, even prompting a column in The Atlantic from annoyed power users.
iOS 26 is a compromise between the previous version and this one. iOS 26 keeps the backspace key, but Apple has added the C/AC button back, which has been moved to where the +/- key used to be.
The backspace key is in the top-left of the keypad and allows you to delete one digit at a time. The C/AC button serves two purposes:
- C (Clear): While you are entering a number, pressing C deletes that number completely while retaining the rest of your calculation intact. For instance, if you entered 32 + 45 + 270 and you made an error in the last number, pressing C would clear 270, allowing you to enter it again.
- AC (All Clear): When no number is being entered, the button changes to AC; it clears out the complete calculation and resets the application to zero.
The +/- key (negation operator) has not been removed but has been repositioned to the bottom-left corner of the keypad.
