Apple Wants to Fix Safari's Cramped Layout on iPhone Duo

Key Points:

• Apple is exploring changes to Safari on the iPhone Duo to allow websites greater access to the outer display area, but has not finalized a solution due to concerns about content accessibility beneath side-mounted controls.
• The current setting viewport-fit="cover" enables webpages to extend into reserved areas, but many websites do not properly adjust content to avoid being obscured by the interface, according to Apple’s research.
• Apple is considering alternative approaches that would give developers more control, such as allowing header backgrounds to span the screen while keeping navigation links in visible areas, aiming to reduce the risk of hidden content.
• Safari 27.1 currently limits webpage content to the area beside the controls and fills the rest with the page's background color, restricting usable width on the outer display, which is designed with side controls due to the screen’s wider and shorter proportions.
• Additionally, Safari 27.1 introduces automatic two-page PDF viewing when the iPhone Duo is partially folded, with experimental features for detecting folding posture available behind feature flags for developers.