Apple is considering changes to Safari on the iPhone Duo that would allow websites to access more of the external screen, although the company has not yet decided on an approach.
The challenge is allowing pages to occupy the area below Safari’s sidebars without making parts of a website inaccessible. In a WebKit post on Friday, October 23, Apple’s Jen Simmons explained that an existing web setting could allow this, but Apple’s research suggests many sites wouldn’t handle it well.
This setting, viewport-fit=”cover”, allows a web page to extend into areas that would otherwise be restricted. Website developers must then leave enough space around important content to prevent it from being obscured by the interface. According to Simmons, many sites fail to account for all aspects.
Apple is exploring whether another solution could give developers more control with less risk of obfuscating content. A header’s background could, for example, extend across the screen while its navigation links remain in the open area.
For now, Safari 27.1 limits web pages to the area next to the controls and uses the page’s background color to fill the remaining strip. This limits the width available for content on the outer screen.
The layout follows from the screen proportions. Apple placed the controls on the side of the device because the outer screen is shorter and wider than other iPhone screens, preserving more height for apps and web pages.
Separately, Safari 27.1 adds automatic two-page PDF display when the iPhone Duo is held partially folded like a book. Flattening or closing the device returns the document to a single page view.
Developers can also test experimental support to detect the screen folding position and position content around the center crease of the device. These features are available behind the Safari feature flags, while the proposed change to content under the controls remains under consideration.
Gn tech
