Apple has outlined how iOS 27 was reengineered to work with the iPhone Duo, the company's first foldable iPhone, with the interface reshaping itself as the device folds, unfolds, and switches between its outer and inner screens.

A New Layout for a New Shape

Rather than sitting across the bottom of the screen, Lock Screen controls, the Dock, and navigation elements now run along the side of the display, freeing vertical space for content. Apple said the status bar has been redesigned as a circular, flexible element that tucks into a corner, while the Dynamic Island runs vertically along the outer display. When opened, the iPhone Duo presents two Home Screen pages across its inner display.

The interface also responds to the angle of the device, not just whether it is open or closed. It reorients when the phone is turned on its side and automatically switches to the correct display when flipped over. Apple said enabling this required rewriting how individual apps lay out content as the screen changes shape, including shifting the Dock to a vertical orientation while keeping controls anchored to the side of the screen.

Multitasking and Everyday Use

For the first time on an iPhone, the Duo supports side-by-side multitasking. Split View allows two apps to run simultaneously, including two windows of the same app such as Safari, or Siri's AI features on one side while browsing content on the other. Users can swipe up from the bottom to switch between apps or save an app pair to revisit later.

According to Apple, the software also reacts to intermediate folding angles rather than treating the phone as simply open or closed. Content moves away from the crease when the device is partially folded, since taps are harder to register there, and audio tuning adjusts for the changing distance between speakers as the phone shifts position. When the Duo is laid flat on a table, sensors in each half let users view content without needing a stand.

Placing the device down also triggers StandBy on whichever display faces up, even without charging, turning it into a photo frame, widget hub, or clock. New Calendar and Weather faces join the existing Clock and Modular options, the Photos face can now display Shared Albums, and each face gains additional colors, fonts, and complications.

Developer Tools and Camera Features

Apple has introduced new APIs so developers can adapt their apps to the dual-display design, with iPhone Duo support arriving in Xcode's Device Hub. Netflix, Zoom, and Slack have already updated their apps to take advantage of the larger inner display.

The folding design also unlocks four camera features exclusive to the Duo. Smart Take uses on-device AI powered by the A20 Pro's Neural Engine to analyze a scene and capture a photo automatically once subjects are posing. Duo Preview shows a live camera feed on the outer display so a subject can check their framing before a photo is taken. Kid Cue plays Peanuts animations on the outer display to capture a child's attention, and Duo FaceTime lets someone standing near a call participant join in through the outer screen.

Apple also built in a keyboard and video controls that appear on the lower half of the display when the phone is flat, along with a split keyboard for partially folded positions.

Availability

Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo open at 5 a.m. Pacific on Friday, October 16, with availability beginning Friday, October 23.