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How to use Reachability on the iPhone Duo outer screen

iOS 27.3 brings Reachability to the iPhone Duo, shifting the outer screen's content toward your thumb. How the edge swipe works, where the setting lives, and why it is beta only for now.

Two smiling customers outside Apple Domain NORTHSIDE in Austin, one holding up a closed iPhone Duo with its outer display facing the camera
Two customers at Apple Domain NORTHSIDE hold up a folded iPhone Duo | Image: Apple

iPhone Duo Reachability shifts the content on one side of the outer screen toward your thumb, so you can reach the far edge of the closed phone more easily. According to MacRumors, Apple expanded Reachability to the iPhone Duo with the iOS 27.3 beta released on November 3, 2026. The payoff is easier reach across the wide outer display when the Duo is closed. Two things to know first: this is beta software as of November 3, so most Duos do not have it yet and the details could change before a public release; and iPhone Duo Hub has not tested it. Here is how to use Reachability on the iPhone Duo, based on MacRumors' reporting.

Key takeaways

  • Apple expanded Reachability to the iPhone Duo in the iOS 27.3 beta released November 3, 2026, according to MacRumors.
  • On the Duo, it shifts the content on the left or right side of the outer screen to make it easier to reach with a thumb.
  • The setting is at Settings, then Accessibility, then Touch, then Reachability, and it is on by default after updating to the beta.
  • With the Duo closed, a short swipe left on the left edge or right on the right edge shifts the outer display's content that way.
  • It is beta only for now; MacRumors' report gives no public release date.

What is Reachability on the iPhone Duo? A thumb shortcut for the outer screen

According to MacRumors, Reachability on the iPhone Duo lets you shift the content on the left or right side of the outer screen so it is easier to reach with a thumb. It works when the Duo is closed, on the outer display.

That addresses a real complaint. In 9to5Mac's everyday tasks test, Fernando found one-handed use harder on the Duo, with reaching across the wide outer display a stretch, and called it a two-handed device for the most part. Reachability is aimed at that reach problem; whether it changes how one-handed the Duo feels is something we cannot say until it is tested. The outer display's size is on our full specs page.

How to use Reachability on the iPhone Duo

These steps follow MacRumors' report. They require the iOS 27.3 beta, as of November 3, 2026.

  1. Check the setting. Go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Touch, then Reachability. MacRumors says it is on by default after updating to the iOS 27.3 beta, and you can turn it on or off here.
  2. Close the Duo. Reachability works on the outer display when the phone is closed.
  3. Swipe on an edge. Make a short swipe left on the left edge, or a short swipe right on the right edge. Per MacRumors, that shifts the outer display's content left or right.

If you like setting the Duo up around how you hold it, our hinge automations how-to covers the Shortcuts trigger that runs actions when you open or close the phone.

Who gets it and when

  • Beta only, as of November 3, 2026. MacRumors reports Reachability arrived for the Duo in the iOS 27.3 beta released that day. It is not in the public software most Duos are running.
  • No public release date yet. MacRumors' report does not give one, so we are not guessing at a date. Beta features can also change before release.
  • On by default after updating. Once a Duo is on the iOS 27.3 beta, Reachability is already turned on, per MacRumors.

For everything else in the Duo's current software, see our iOS 27 guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is Reachability on the iPhone Duo?

On the iPhone Duo, Reachability lets you shift the content on the left or right side of the outer screen so it is easier to reach with a thumb, according to MacRumors. Apple added it in the iOS 27.3 beta released on November 3, 2026, so it is not in the current public software.

How do I turn on Reachability on my iPhone Duo?

Go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Touch, then Reachability, according to MacRumors. On the iPhone Duo, it is on by default after updating to the iOS 27.3 beta, which Apple released on November 3, 2026. It is not in the current public software.

How do I use Reachability on the iPhone Duo outer screen?

With the iPhone Duo closed, make a short swipe left on the left edge or a short swipe right on the right edge of the outer screen. Per MacRumors, that shifts the outer display's content left or right. It requires the iOS 27.3 beta for now.

Why does my iPhone Duo not have Reachability?

Because it is only in the iOS 27.3 beta for now. MacRumors reports that Apple expanded Reachability to the iPhone Duo with the iOS 27.3 beta released on November 3, 2026. MacRumors' report gives no public release date, so Duos on the current public software do not have it yet.

Sources

  • MacRumors, "iPhone Duo Gets Reachability in iOS 27.3 Beta," Juli Clover, November 3, 2026: Reachability expanded to the iPhone Duo in the iOS 27.3 beta, what it does on the outer screen, the Settings path, on by default after updating, the edge swipe gesture.
  • Image: Apple.