Apple overhauls iOS 27 controls and apps to fit the foldable iPhone Duo

Apple has rebuilt major parts of iOS 27 around the dual-screen architecture of the iPhone Duo, the foldable handset introduced during the company’s Surprise and Shine event on September 9, 2026.

iOS 27 repositions controls for foldable use. The standard iOS 27 controls slide over to the side of the display, keeping them within easy thumb reach when the device is opened.

Apps adapt to the Duo’s screen real estate. The company has adjusted the layout of every application to take full advantage of the expanded interior display area as well as the wider aspect ratio on the external screen.

iPhone Duo gains Apple Pencil support. The iPhone Duo is also the first iPhone to support Apple Pencil. The stylus works on either the outer or inner display.

Software handles new foldable orientations. Because no other iPhone has ever featured multiple screens or a flexible display, Apple designed iOS 27 to remain usable across a variety of orientations and poses. When users hold the inner display partially open like a book, iOS 27 shifts content away from the fold so it stays visible. The device can also be folded like a tent, placed on a table, and used to watch videos on the external screen.

iPhone Duo draws on iPadOS multitasking foundation. Apple did not have to begin from scratch. It already had a mobile OS built for multitasking in iPadOS, which itself was constructed on iOS. The company even said that the iPhone Duo was designed to be “as natural and intuitive as iPad.”