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How Split View works on iPhone Duo

Two apps side by side on an iPhone for the first time. What works, what doesn’t, and which apps make the best pairs.

Updated

iPhone Duo is the first iPhone that can run two apps side by side. Open the device, and the inner display can be shared between two apps — or two windows of the same app, such as two Safari windows for comparing prices.

Illustration: app fills the inner display with a two-pane layout
On the inner display, two panes sit either side of the fold.

Every app takes part

Developers don’t have to opt in: all apps participate in multitasking on iPhone Duo. That includes apps that haven’t been updated yet — a letterboxed app simply has less space to waste when it only occupies half the screen.

What you can do with it

  • Pair two apps. Put a document next to a chat, a map next to a booking, or a video next to notes.
  • Save pairs. iPhone Duo lets you save pairs of apps and come back to them later.
  • Two windows of one app. Supported apps, like Safari, can open a second window beside the first.
  • Siri beside your content. Apple showed a conversation with Siri running on one side while you look at content on the other.

A few limits

  • Split View lives on the inner display. The outer display shows one app at a time.
  • New windows can only be created on the inner display.
  • How comfortable an app feels at half width depends on its layout — apps with iPad versions tend to cope best.

Good pairs to try

Chat assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are natural partners for almost anything. Productivity apps like Notion, Slack and Google Docs benefit from a reference open next to them. Each app page on WorksOnDuo notes when an app is especially good at half width.

Sources

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