Apple’s iPhone Duo App Library Surges Past 100,000 as Developers Rush to Support the Foldable Display
Apple’s new iPhone Duo had a rocky start in one key area: apps. Early reviews of the foldable iPhone pointed out that too many popular apps were not yet designed for its larger, dual-screen-style experience. For a premium device built around a new form factor, that lack of optimized software stood out.
Now, Apple says the situation is improving fast.
The company announced that more than 100,000 apps built or updated for iPhone Duo are now available on the App Store. Apple also says thousands of additional Duo-ready apps are being added every day, suggesting developers are moving quickly to support the foldable iPhone experience.
The announcement arrived alongside a fresh wave of major app updates. More than a dozen notable apps are now listed as ready for iPhone Duo, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, Zoom, NBA, NHL, Etsy, LTK, Goodnotes, Extra, and the Halide Mark III camera app. These join other already-optimized apps such as Netflix, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
For iPhone Duo owners, optimized apps matter. Apps that have not been updated for the device can feel unfinished on the foldable screen. Some display a black bar along the side, wasting screen space that should be used for content. In other cases, important tools and controls can be pushed into overflow menus, making the experience less smooth than expected from a high-end Apple device.
Apple’s latest figures suggest that many developers simply needed more time to adapt their apps to the iPhone Duo’s new design. To help speed up the process, Apple hosted more than 50 in-person developer workshops across 19 cities worldwide. According to the company, over 2,000 app developers attended these sessions, where they were able to test the iPhone Duo and work directly with Apple’s support teams.
The push comes as demand for the iPhone Duo appears stronger than expected. Despite its premium starting price of $1,999 for the 256GB model, the device sold out within hours after preorders opened. Shipping estimates have now slipped into next year, and Apple recently said it is difficult to predict when supply constraints will ease.
Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations, said the company is pleased with how quickly developers have embraced the new device.
“It’s been wonderful to see how quickly developers have embraced iPhone Duo, and we’re grateful for their creativity and innovation,” Prescott said. She added that Apple is excited to see the pace of updates continue to accelerate as more apps become optimized for iPhone Duo.
Apple also highlighted a much longer list of apps that have been updated for iOS 27 and optimized for iPhone Duo. The list includes Spotify, CBS, Tubi, BBC iPlayer in the U.K., Yahoo Fantasy Sports, Sportsnet in Canada, Facebook Messenger, Google Chat, ChatGPT, Grok Bot, Microsoft Copilot, Excel, PowerPoint, SAP Concur, monday.com, PDF Expert, Documents, iA Writer, Substack, The Washington Post, Yahoo News, FOX News, Kalshi, Yahoo Finance, Canva, Suno, Tinder, Google Translate, Strava, Alma, Withings, MyFitnessPal, Bevel, Transit, Citi Bike, ParkMobile, Viator, Tesla Robotaxi, Priceline, Kroger, Domino’s, Taco Bell, Untappd, The Weather Channel, FOX Weather, and RainViewer.
However, not every update appears to be fully available to all users just yet. Some apps may still show the black bar or lack a visible App Store update on certain iPhone Duo units. Spotify, for example, may not yet appear fully optimized for every user. Since Apple provided the list directly, the remaining updates are expected to arrive soon.
The milestone is an important one for Apple’s foldable iPhone strategy. Hardware can attract attention, but apps are what make a new device category feel useful every day. With more than 100,000 iPhone Duo-optimized apps now available and more arriving daily, Apple is working to close one of the biggest gaps identified at launch.
For buyers waiting on delayed shipments, the timing may actually work in their favor. By the time more iPhone Duo units arrive, the foldable app experience could be significantly better than it was on day one.
