iPhone Duo Poses
People hold and set down iPhone Duo in several poses. Cover them with compact-width and regular-width size classes — not a custom layout for each pose.
Last updated
Quick answer
Do not design a custom layout for each iPhone Duo pose. People hold Duo like a book, set it on a surface, or stand it on its edges — cover those with a compact-width layout for the outer display and a regular-width layout for the inner display, then let the existing UI expand as the window changes. Preview every pose in Xcode Device Hub. See Dynamic layouts.
The poses
People hold iPhone Duo and set it down in a number of ways: partially folded like a book, placed down on a surface, or standing on its edges. Apple’s HIG illustrates six of those postures.
- Closed — folded shut; the outer display is compact width.
- Tent — standing on both edges, like an A-frame.
- Open landscape — laid flat on a surface, inner display wide.
- Book — partially folded like a book in the hands.
- Open portrait — unfolded and held tall.
- Laptop stand — standing on one edge, lower half as a base.
Size classes, not six layouts
Supporting the device’s various poses does not mean shipping a custom layout for each one. Use size classes so the app adapts as its window changes size.
- Compact width on the outer display — the closed pose, and any Split View pane that collapses.
- Regular width on the inner display — open, book, tent, and stand poses that give you the larger canvas.
- Do not reinvent the app when it resizes. Let the existing layout expand with available space.
Common mistake
Detecting “book vs tent vs laptop” to swap entire UI trees. Those poses still resolve to size class and geometry. Pose-specific code belongs to behavior (pause playback when half-open), not to layout. Layout guidance: Adaptive layout. Fold APIs: Fold & Pose.
Preview in Device Hub
Use Device Hub in Xcode 27.1 to preview your app on iPhone Duo and see how it appears in its various poses. Drive fold, rotation, and Split View live without physical hardware. Setup steps: How to test iPhone Duo in Xcode.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a custom layout for every iPhone Duo pose?
No. Supporting Duo’s poses does not mean designing a layout for each one. A compact-width layout for the outer display and a regular-width layout for the inner display cover the fundamentals. Let that layout expand with available space as the device folds, stands, or lies flat.
Which size classes cover iPhone Duo poses?
Compact width for the outer display, regular width for the inner display. Book, tent, laptop-stand, and fully open poses still feed you those size classes (and Split View can make an inner pane compact). Branch on horizontalSizeClass, not on a pose enum.
How do I preview iPhone Duo poses without hardware?
Use Device Hub in Xcode 27.1 with the Duo Simulator. Drive closed, half-open, fully open, and rotation live while the app stays running. Setup: /xcode.