Apple is considering updates to Safari on the iPhone Duo that would allow webpages to occupy more of the outer display—specifically, the space currently blocked off by Safari’s side-mounted controls. But the company hasn’t settled on a final design yet.
Understanding the Layout Issue
The iPhone Duo’s outer screen is wider in shape than most iPhones. To maximize usable height, Safari positions its controls along the side instead of the top. That setup forces web content to live only in the area beside those controls, leaving a clean strip beside them using the webpage’s background color. This arrangement limits how much visible width a website has on that side of the display.
To address this, Apple is revisiting a web setting called viewport-fit="cover", which allows sites to extend content beneath UI elements. That approach relies on the site’s developers leaving enough margin so essential content isn’t obscured. Apple found that many existing sites don’t make these allowances across all edges of the screen, which often results in portions of content getting cut off.
What Apple Is Proposing
Rather than pushing developers to perfect that margin-based method, Apple is investigating alternatives that give more control and reduce risk. One possibility: letting backgrounds stretch full-width under controls while keeping navigation links or other UI components constrained to the unobstructed zone, so content doesn’t get hidden.
Meanwhile, in Safari 27.1, websites are still limited to the space next to the side controls. Any leftover area beside them is filled by matching the page’s background color. Also included in this version is a two-page PDF view when the iPhone Duo is partially folded like a book. Folding flat or closing the device returns documents to single-page view.
For developers, there are experimental features under Safari’s “feature flags” that detect the device’s folding posture. These enable sites to dynamically reposition elements based on how the outer screen is being used. The broader redesign to allow more content under side-mounted controls is still under review.
Why This Matters
This issue impacts user experience with the iPhone Duo’s outer display. Web content appears narrower than it could be, especially when reading sites or viewing articles that would benefit from more horizontal space. As foldable or dual-screen devices become more common, ensuring web interfaces can adapt without hiding essential content is a growing concern.
The proposed changes could make Safari feel cleaner and feel less constrained. But pushing developers to handle edge cases properly is challenging. Web standards like viewport-fit are powerful, but real-world usage reveals gaps in design practices. What Apple ultimately chooses could set precedents for foldable and large-screen web support across platforms.
Watch for updates in future Safari releases or WebKit previews to see which direction Apple goes. Developers should be prepared to test both layout methods and update sites to avoid clipped content, once Apple rolls out its new approach.
