Pointing an iPhone camera at a receipt lets Siri make each line item selectable so users can assign dishes to specific people.
After assigning items, the feature sends individual Apple Cash payment requests based on what each person ordered.
Unlike third-party alternatives like SplitWise or Tab, the tool works within the Camera app and iMessage, requiring no additional downloads.
Apple introduced a new Siri in Camera feature at its Worldwide Developers Conference, designed to simplify the often awkward process of splitting a restaurant bill. The tool allows an iPhone user to point the device's camera at a physical receipt. Siri mode within the Camera app then makes each line item selectable, letting the user assign dishes and drinks to specific people at the table.
“If you're grabbing a bite with friends and point your iPhone at the bill, then [you can] select what you ordered to split the tab with Apple Cash.”
Once items are assigned, the feature generates individual Apple Cash payment requests based on what each person actually consumed, rather than dividing the total evenly. Apple's presentation positioned this as a way to avoid the common scenario where a diner who skipped drinks ends up subsidising a friend's cocktails.
Similar receipt-scanning and bill-splitting functionality already existed in third-party apps like SplitWise and Tab, but those services never achieved broad mainstream adoption. Apple's integration benefits from living inside native applications such as iMessage and the Camera app, removing the friction of downloading a separate tool. Sending a payment request through an app already on every iPhone feels more organic, the company argued.
During the same presentation, Apple also showed a related Siri in Camera capability aimed at dining. Instead of scanning the bill, users can point the camera at their food to see estimated nutrition information. The feature was mentioned alongside the bill-splitting tool as part of a broader push to make the camera a contextual assistant in everyday situations.
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Unveiled at WWDC 2026, the feature lets users point an iPhone camera at a receipt, select items per person, and send Apple Cash requests accordingly.
AI text based on reports by TechCrunch. Published .