iPhone Duo features to try first bring hands-free photos, two-app multitasking, and simpler unlocking to the foldable, if you set them up in the right order. MacRumors published a guide on October 29, 2026, for owners of Apple’s first foldable iPhone, which launched on October 23, 2026. This article turns that guide, and the linked MacRumors how-to pages behind it, into a short setup order.
The Duo has two displays and a hinge, so the useful tricks are not the usual iPhone tips. Several use the outer display while you work on the inner one, and others use the folded shape itself.
One limit applies to the whole list. PetaTech24 did not test these steps on a Duo. Every step comes from a MacRumors how-to page linked from the MacRumors guide to iPhone Duo features to try first.
The Short Version
- The iPhone Duo features to try first on day one are Smart Take, Duo Preview, Split View app pairs, StandBy without charging, and Apple Watch unlock.
- Smart Take, one of the iPhone Duo features to try first for group photos, takes up to 20 photos over a couple of minutes while you pose.
- Split View is fixed at 50/50 on the 7.6-inch inner display in landscape, and tapping the divider locks two apps as a pair.
- StandBy works without a charger when the Duo is partly folded, if the Only While Charging toggle is off.
- Edge Light and Apple Pencil support are iOS 27.2 items, and only the Apple Pencil with USB-C works.
iPhone Duo features to try first in the Camera app
The camera is where the second display earns its place, and the iPhone Duo features to try first here use the outer display to help the person in front of the lens.
Smart Take: hands-free group photos
Smart Take is one of the iPhone Duo features to try first for group photos. It captures photos automatically when you pose or hold still, so no one stays behind the camera. MacRumors reports up to 20 photos over a couple of minutes, with the flash blinking for each shot. Open Camera, prop the phone up, tap Smart Take when it appears, or find it under Camera Controls, pose, and tap it again to stop.
Duo Preview and rear-camera selfies
Duo Preview, another of the iPhone Duo features to try first, shows the person you are photographing a live, mirrored preview on the outer display. Unfold the Duo, open Camera, tap Outer Display Options, then tap Duo Preview. The rear-camera selfie reverses the idea: turn the open phone so the rear cameras point at you, drag the Show Camera slider, and shoot from there. MacRumors calls the rear cameras the higher-quality 48MP Fusion cameras.
Kid Cue: getting children and pets to look at the lens
Kid Cue, one of the iPhone Duo features to try first for parents, plays an animation on the outer display to draw a child or pet toward the camera. Open Camera, tap Outer Display Options, then tap Kid Cue. MacRumors says the animation is Snoopy-themed. Expect your subject to look slightly off to the side, because the main lens is used.
iPhone Duo features to try first on two displays
Unfolded, the Duo is the first iPhone that can run two apps on screen at the same time, according to MacRumors. The iPhone Duo features to try first on two displays are Split View app pairs, StandBy without a charger, and the split keyboard.
Split View and locked app pairs
Split View works on the 7.6-inch inner display in landscape. From an app in use, swipe up, pause, drag the app to an edge, then tap the second app. From the Home Screen, touch and hold an icon, tap Open in Split View, then choose the second app. Tap the divider to lock the pair, and drag it to an edge to unpair.
The split is fixed at 50/50, only one app can play audio at a time, and two windows of the same app can work in some cases, including Safari, Mail, Notes, and Files.
StandBy without a charger
StandBy is one of the iPhone Duo features to try first if the phone sits on a desk. Other iPhones need a charger for StandBy, but the Duo can show widgets, music, calendar, and weather when folded in half or into a tent shape, away from power. In Settings, tap StandBy, turn it on, tick the folding positions, and turn Only While Charging off.
Split the keyboard in landscape
The split keyboard is among the iPhone Duo features to try first for long typing sessions. With the Duo open in landscape, open a text field, tap the More button at the top-left of the keyboard, then tap Split. Tap More and Full to rejoin the halves. When closed, long press the globe or emoji key and tap the left or right layout to shift the keyboard to one side.
iPhone Duo features to try first for unlocking and sound
The Duo unlocks with a Touch ID sensor in the side button, and it has no physical mute control. The iPhone Duo features to try first for unlocking and sound are the fixes that make both changes feel normal.
Unlock with an Apple Watch
Apple Watch unlock is one of the iPhone Duo features to try first for watch owners. The watch must be a Series 9 or later, an Ultra 2 or later, or an SE 3. In Settings, tap Touch ID and Passcode, enter your passcode, scroll to Unlock with Nearby Devices, and toggle on your watch. Then keep the watch on your wrist, unlocked, and close to the phone, wake the Duo, and swipe up.
Silence the phone without a switch
Silence control is among the iPhone Duo features to try first because the Duo drops both the Ring/Silent switch and the Action button, according to MacRumors. With the device unlocked, tap the circular status bar icon to open Control Center, then tap the Silent Mode bell icon. Silent Mode mutes calls and alerts, but alarms and media audio still play.
The hinge as an app launcher, in brief
The guide also links to a how-to that turns the hinge into an app launcher through a Shortcuts trigger called Opened or Closed. This guide does not repeat those steps, because PetaTech24 already covered the hinge trigger in detail.
What iOS 27.2 adds for Duo owners
The guide lists two items under iOS 27.2: Apple Pencil support with the USB-C model, and Edge Light for video calls. PetaTech24’s rollout coverage reports Apple released the final version on October 26, 2026.
Edge Light for brighter video calls
Edge Light is one of the iPhone Duo features to try first for video calls in low light. It lights the borders of the screen to light your face evenly, acting as a virtual ring light. It works in FaceTime and apps such as Zoom, needs iOS 27.2 or later, and is only available when unfolded.
During a call, open Control Center, tap the colored call controls bar, then tap the light bulb button next to Edge Light.
Apple Pencil: only the USB-C model
Only one Pencil works with the Duo, and checking the model is one of the iPhone Duo features to try first before spending money. MacRumors reports that Apple Pencil 1, 2, and Pro will not work, and that only the Apple Pencil with USB-C is supported, listed at $79 from Apple and $69 from Amazon. No EUR price was given in the sources checked.
Pairing is by USB-C cable. Once paired, you can write or draw on both displays, with a palm rejection setting.
Quick Answers
Which iPhone Duo features to try first matter most on day one?
Start with Smart Take and Duo Preview for photos, a locked Split View app pair for your most repeated two-app task, StandBy without charging, and Apple Watch unlock on a supported watch.
Do I need iOS 27.2 for all of these?
No. Edge Light and Apple Pencil support are the iOS 27.2 items in the guide. The other features are presented as Duo features in the linked how-to pages.
Which Apple Pencil works with iPhone Duo?
Only the Apple Pencil with USB-C works, according to MacRumors. Apple Pencil 1, Apple Pencil 2, and Apple Pencil Pro do not work with the Duo. Confirm the model before buying, and pair the USB-C model with a USB-C cable.
Does Split View let me resize the two apps?
No. MacRumors states that the Duo split is fixed at 50/50, unlike Split View on iPad. Dragging the divider to an edge only unpairs the apps and returns one to full screen.
The Takeaway
Taken together, the iPhone Duo features to try first reward owners who learn the outer display early. Duo Preview and Kid Cue turn the second screen into a helper, Smart Take turns the hinge into a tripod, and Split View turns the unfolded phone into a small workspace. The order is camera first, pairs second, and unlocking third. These are MacRumors how-to steps, repeated here with their limits stated, not PetaTech24 hands-on results.
Sources
MacRumors, Tim Hardwick, Just Got an iPhone Duo? Try These Features First, October 29, 2026. The guide and its linked how-to index. MacRumors guide.
MacRumors, iPhone Duo: Use Smart Take for Hands-Free Group Photos, October 28, 2026. Smart Take how-to.
MacRumors, iPhone Duo: Open Two Apps Side by Side and Lock Them As an App Pair; iPhone Duo: Activate StandBy Mode When Not Charging, October 27, 2026; iPhone Duo: Split the Keyboard in Landscape Orientation, October 27, 2026.
MacRumors, iPhone Duo: Give Your Camera Subject a Picture Preview, October 26, 2026; iPhone Duo: Get Kids and Pets to Look at the Camera, October 24, 2026; iPhone Duo: Take Selfies With Rear Cameras for Higher Quality Shots, October 28, 2026.
MacRumors, Skip the Touch ID Scan: Unlock iPhone Duo With Apple Watch, October 24, 2026; Quickly Silence iPhone Duo Without a Ring/Mute Switch, October 26, 2026; iPhone Duo: Use Edge Light for Brighter Video Calls, October 27, 2026; Using an Apple Pencil With the iPhone Duo: What to Know, October 23, 2026.
PetaTech24, iPhone Duo Shortcuts Automation: 5 Best Hinge Tricks, and iOS 27.2: 5 Proven Siri AI Upgrades and Duo Pencil Support, October 2026, for the hinge trigger pointer and the iOS 27.2 release date.
