WhatsApp appears to have rolled out an iPhone Duo layout a day before Apple’s first foldable reaches customers. That’s according to users on Reddit, who shared photos of the updated app running on the Duo in a thread on Thursday morning.
It’s a notable arrival, since WhatsApp wasn’t among the iPhone Duo apps ready by Friday that Apple highlighted. Apps that haven’t been rebuilt for the Duo sit inside a phone-sized window with black bars when the device is open.
In the photos, WhatsApp fills the Duo’s 5.4-inch outer display with a group chat, while the clock, back button and video call button sit in the vertical bar along the right edge. Instead of the black strip seen in apps that haven’t been updated, that bar now takes on the app’s own background.
Image: Reddit
Meta hasn’t announced Duo support for WhatsApp, and the app’s App Store listing doesn’t mention it either. The latest build, version 26.41.75, went live on Thursday with WhatsApp’s usual boilerplate notes about bug fixes and performance, so it isn’t confirmed that this is the update behind the new look.
Not everyone in the thread thinks “fully optimized” is the right label. Several commenters noted that chats still don’t extend under the right-hand bar, which mostly just matches the background now, and others questioned why the send button sits partway across the screen. One user said WhatsApp should show your chat list next to an open conversation on the 7.6-inch inner display, the way Apple’s Mail app does, while another called this update “the bare minimum” Meta could get ready in time for launch.
Others pushed back on the criticism. A few argued that keeping the back button on the right puts it close to your thumb and leaves more vertical room for messages, and one pointed out that videos now play full screen.
For plenty of Canadians, WhatsApp is the family group chat with relatives overseas, so a launch-day update matters more here than the subreddit’s mostly American crowd might expect. The original poster made a similar point, saying the update would be appreciated by “the rest of the world.” If you’re still deciding, our first iPhone Duo reviews roundup covers how the device holds up beyond app support.
The iPhone Duo arrives on Friday, October 23, after iPhone Duo pre-orders opened in Canada starting at $2,999. Apple has also confirmed limited walk-in stock at Canadian Apple Stores for launch day.
Is WhatsApp’s Duo layout good enough for you, or are you holding out for a proper two-pane view?
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
