Education v7.147.0
Does Duolingo work on iPhone Duo?
It works, but with black bars. Duolingo 7.147.0 is built with the iOS 26.5 SDK, so iPhone Duo runs it in a phone-sized window on the inner display.
At a glance
- Inner display (7.6″)
- Black bars
- Outer display (5.4″)
- Works normally
- Built with
- iOS 26.5 SDK
- Version 7.147.0, read Nov 3, 2026
- iPad version
- Yes
- Layout already handles big screens
- Latest version
- v7.147.0
- Nov 2, 2026
- Duo in release notes
- Not yet
About Duolingo
Duolingo is made by Duolingo and first came out on the App Store in November 2012. It's #25 on today's US App Store top charts. It has 5,559,528 ratings on the US App Store, averaging 4.7 stars. Version 7.147.0 came out on Nov 2, 2026 and needs iOS 17.0 or later. It's free to download. Among the 6 education apps we track on the US App Store, 1 already fill the inner display, 0 are partly adapted and 5 still show black bars. By number of ratings, Duolingo is #1 of them.
From its App Store listing:
Learn a new language, chess & more with the world's most downloaded education app! Duolingo is the fun, free app for learning 40+ languages through quick, bite-sized lessons. Practice speaking, reading, listening & writing to build your vocabulary & grammar skills. Designed by learning experts & loved by hundreds of millions worldwide, our lessons make learning effective & fun and help you prepare…
On the inner display
Apps built with older SDKs are placed in a phone-sized safe area on a black background. Everything works; you just don't get the bigger screen.
In Split View
iPhone Duo is the first iPhone that can show two apps side by side, and every app takes part — including Duolingo. Open it on the inner display, then add a second app next to it. You can save the pair and come back to it later.
Duo-specific features
None confirmed yet. Duo-specific features include side toolbars, layouts that react to the fold, and content on the outer display while the app is open inside.
Evidence & history
App build,
Version 7.147.0 is built with the iOS 26.5 SDK
Apple runs apps built with the iOS 26 SDK or earlier in a phone-sized window on the inner display.
- : Not confirmed yet → Black bars — built with the iOS 26.5 SDK
Latest release notes
Version 7.147.0 · Nov 2, 2026
Our mascot owl, Duo, is trading in his usual diet of mice for bugs this week. Yup, we’re squashing those pesky bugs to make the experience better for all of you. For more Duolingo news, contests and product releases, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @duolingo.
Questions
Does Duolingo work on iPhone Duo?
It works, but with black bars. Duolingo 7.147.0 is built with the iOS 26.5 SDK, so iPhone Duo runs it in a phone-sized window on the inner display.
Does Duolingo work on the outer display?
Yes. iPhone Duo's 5.4-inch outer display behaves like a regular iPhone screen, so every iPhone app works there as usual.
Can I use Duolingo in Split View on iPhone Duo?
Yes. On iPhone Duo every app can be placed side by side with another app on the inner display — developers don't need to opt in. How comfortable it feels at half width depends on the app's layout.
Why does Duolingo have black bars on iPhone Duo?
Apps built with the iOS 26 SDK or earlier run in a phone-sized window on the inner display, and iOS 27 builds can still leave some space empty. The bars disappear once the developer rebuilds the app with the iOS 27.1 SDK — you only need to update the app.
When will Duolingo fill iPhone Duo's inner display?
When its developer releases an update built with the iOS 27.1 SDK or later. We read the SDK of every new version of Duolingo within about a day of its release and update this page.
What can I do about the black bars until then?
Use Duolingo on the outer display, where it works like on any iPhone, or put it in Split View next to another app on the inner display so less of the screen goes unused.