select all

Here’s How to Use Your iPhone’s Built-in Venmo Feature

Photo: Apple

Apple just released the latest update to iOS 11, which brings with it a whole host of minor bug fixes and one glorious, brand-spankin’-new feature: Apple Pay Cash.

As decidedly unsexy as it may sound, Apple Pay Cash is one of iOS 11’s most useful features. Think of it as a built-in Venmo option that works perfectly ( but solely — sorry, Android users) within the cult of Apple.

It works like this: Let’s say your (iPhone-owning) friend owes you $10 from a brunch bill you split last weekend. You could Venmo-request them, but — let’s be honest — that’s a tactic that has pretty much never worked in the history of mankind, and you’d probably end up texting them in a week or two to awkwardly remind them about the charge, all the while hating yourself for being such a miser. But with Apple Pay Cash, all you have to do is open Messages and select the Apple Pay icon from the app drawer (a.k.a. that little row of app icons that shows up below the place where you compose your message). You’re immediately prompted to choose the amount of money in question, and whether you want to request or send it. Your friend is instantly notified of the charge from within the Messages app, and the funds are transferred from their Apple Pay Cash Card — which is a fancy name for something that’s essentially just the Apple version of your Venmo Balance — to yours.

It’s as easy as that. No Oh, sorry! I never check Venmo! excuses allowed.

(Minor note: This feature only works if you’ve got iOS 11.2 installed on your phone, so if you haven’t updated yet, do that.)

Here’s How to Use Your iPhone’s Built-in Venmo Feature