iOS 27: Apple Cash Splits Bills by Photo Apfelpatient

With WWDC fast approaching, evidence is mounting of new iOS 27 features. One of them is supposed to eliminate the hassle of splitting a shared bill: a photo of the receipt is all it takes, and Apple Cash handles the rest. However, the catch for German users lies in the details.

iOS 27 will be unveiled at WWDC in just over a week, and some of its features are already leaking out. One new feature comes from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman and concerns the Wallet app: iPhone users will soon be able to split a shared bill by taking a photo. This feature fits with the expectations for this year's WWDC, where Apple is expected to showcase a new Siri as well as a number of smaller, everyday improvements.

Split invoice via photo

The principle sounds simple: anyone who has to settle the bill after a shared meal photographs the receipt, assigns the individual items to the respective people, and lets the system create matching payment requests. According to the report, the feature calculates each person's share including item costs, tax, and tip.

Technically, the whole thing depends on Apple Cash, Apple's own payment service, which allows users to send money to other people and also pay for purchases – similar to services like Venmo. The bill splitting feature can be accessed via both the Wallet app and the Messages app, and payments can also be authorized from the Apple Watch.

Why the feature won't be available in Germany for now

As convenient as it sounds, for users in Germany, the new feature remains theoretical for now. Apple Cash is currently only available in the US – and since bill splitting is directly tied to this service, it likely won't be usable in Germany at launch. Whether or when Apple Cash will launch outside the US has been uncertain for years.

Another building block for Apple Wallet

Bill splitting isn't the only Wallet feature expected in iOS 27. Previously, there was talk of a function that would allow users to add physical cards and tickets as digital passports to Wallet – for example, by scanning a barcode. Apple is thus gradually expanding the app into a more comprehensive everyday tool while simultaneously moving closer to specialized third-party providers. The official unveiling is expected at the keynote on June 8. (Image: Shutterstock / Wanwajee Weeraphukdee)