We haven't identified any problems with this release. If you encounter a bug or other problem, please let us know!
How do I use Converter?
Using Converter is basically a three-step process:
Select the conversion category from the bar at the bottom of the screen.
Tap one of the silver unit buttons, then select a unit from the list that appears. Then do the same with the other unit.
Tap one of the blue number "screens", then enter the amount of that unit into the calculator. Tap the "Go" button to return to the first screen, which will now show the amounts.
For example, if you want to convert 98.6° Fahrenheit to Celsius:
Select the Heat category at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the top unit button and select Degrees Fahrenheit. Tap the bottom unit button and select Degrees Celsius.
Tap the Fahrenheit screen and enter 9, 8, decimal point, and 6, then hit "Go" in the top right corner.
Converter will tell you that 98.6° Fahrenheit is 37° Celsius.
Can you add my local currency to the Currency converter?
Converter needs a reliable source of exchange rate data for every currency it supports. Currently we use two public sources of currency data: the European Central Bank and the Bank of Canada. Between them, these two government agencies publish 63 exchange rates, and Converter supports all of them.
Because of this, adding a currency isn't as simple as sticking it in the list—we must also find a service that will provide an exchange rate for it (and that will let 200,000 Converter users download it!). We have added currencies in the past, though, and we keep a list of requested currencies so we can see what people are asking for. Email us with your request and we'll add it to our request list!
Converter doesn't have a unit or category I want to convert. Can you add it?
We do add units from time to time, but we don't include every unit or category requested. One of our biggest concerns with Converter is that it be kept simple and small enough that people can easily use it, and as you can imagine, twelve screens of units in each category would be a bit of a handful! We don't attempt to include every function—just the ones we think most users will need.
Nevertheless, we do sometimes forget to include common units, especially ones that aren't common in the United States, so let us know if you want us to add something. We keep a request list as well so we can see what people are asking for. Just email us with your request and we'll consider it!
Can I change which icons Converter lists in the bottom bar?
Yes, you can! Open Converter, tap "More", then tap the "Edit" button in the top right corner. Converter will display a panel of icons, and you can drag them onto the tab bar at the bottom of the screen to add them. For example, drag "Area" onto the "Heat" icon at the bottom and take your finger off the screen; Area will then replace Heat in the bottom bar.
By the way, you can use this same trick in Apple's iPod/Music app, and in many other apps that have a bottom tab bar with a "More" button.
My copy of Converter has been deleted. Can I get another copy without paying for it again?
Absolutely! If you're using the same iTunes account, just "buy" it again. iTunes will recognize that you already own Converter and won't charge you for it.
What's a marketing gigabyte?
Computers typically consider a gigabyte to be 1,073,741,824 bytes (that's 1024 × 1024 × 1024). However, marketers often advertise hard drive capacities with a gigabyte equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes (that's 1000 × 1000 × 1000), so they can put bigger numbers on the box. This is technically the size of a gigabyte (the computer size is technically called a gibibyte instead), but almost nobody actually uses it that way unless they're selling a hard drive.
Therefore, Converter tries to match common usage by setting a "Gigabyte" equal to the measurement computers usually use, while "Gigabyte (Marketing)" is the measurement marketers use. The same thing is done for terabytes, which suffer from the same ambiguity.
Converter's currency rates won't update, even though my device is connected to the Internet. What should I do?
This is probably happening because your device's access to the central banks' exchange rate feeds is being blocked somehow. Try visiting both of these links on your device's Safari browser:
Both pages should be plain white with black text. The first should say nothing but "Reference rates European Central Bank" in small type; the second should have several lines that start with pound signs (#).
If you see something else—an error message, a prompt for a username and password, a checkbox to accept terms of service, a warning from some sort of filtering software, or something similar—then that's the problem. Clear that up and the currency converter will be able to update. If you see something wrong but you're not sure how to fix it, take a screenshot (hold down the Home button and press the Lock button; the screen will flash and a picture of what's on it will be added to your camera roll) and send me an email; I'll try to help you with it.
Why are Converter for iPad and Converter for iPhone separate apps?
If you've used Converter for iPad, you've no doubt noticed how different it is from the iPhone version. Although they share the same conversion code, almost everything else about the app had to be radically redesigned for the iPad, a process that took months of work—about as much as developing Converter 1.0 did. Since it's essentially a new app, I decided to sell it separately. I like to think of myself as a nice guy, but I'm trying to make a living here!
Nevertheless, there's nothing stopping you from running the exact same Converter you have on your iPhone on the iPad as well—it works just fine in the iPhone compatibility mode. (That's what Converter would have been like if I'd spent a couple days' effort on the iPad version instead of redesigning it from scratch!) If you don't want to spend the money to get Converter for iPad, that option is always open to you.
Didn't find what you're looking for above? Drop us an email with this form and we'll get back to you soon!
