The iPhone Duo’s wider outer display should give websites more room to breathe, but Safari currently leaves part of that screen unused.
Apple has acknowledged the problem and says finding a solution is proving more complicated than expected.
In a WebKit update, Apple explained that Safari’s navigation controls are responsible for the wasted space.
Unlike a traditional iPhone, the Duo has a shorter, wider outer display. To preserve vertical space, Apple positioned Safari’s navigation controls along the side of the screen instead of the bottom.
That decision creates an awkward tradeoff. Websites can only occupy the area beside those controls, leaving a narrow strip that shows the page’s background color without making space for actual content.
Why Apple Can’t Simply Let Websites Fill the Screen
A web standard already exists that could help address the problem.
The viewport-fit="cover" setting allows websites to extend content into areas normally reserved for interface elements.
However, enabling it more broadly could create another headache.
Many websites aren’t designed to account for controls or obstructions along every edge of the screen. Expanding layouts could hide navigation links, buttons, or important text beneath Safari’s interface.
Apple’s testing found that developers don’t consistently account for these areas, making a universal fix risky.
Instead, the company is exploring a more flexible approach that would allow different parts of a webpage to use the available space independently.
For example, a website’s header background could stretch across the entire display while its navigation links remain safely positioned away from Safari’s controls.
That would make better use of the Duo’s screen without forcing developers to redesign their websites.
Safari 27.1 Adds a Useful Feature for Foldable Reading
For now, Safari 27.1 maintains the existing layout, meaning websites still appear in a narrower column beside the browser controls.
The update does improve reading PDF documents. When the iPhone Duo is partially folded into a book-like position, Safari can automatically display PDFs as a two-page spread, making the experience closer to reading a physical book.
Returning the device to a flat or closed position switches the document back to a single-page layout.
Apple is also experimenting with web features that let developers detect the Duo’s folding posture and position content around its physical hinge. Those capabilities currently require enabling Safari’s experimental developer settings.
There’s no confirmed timeline for fixing the unused screen space, and Apple hasn’t indicated which Safari update might introduce a solution.
