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What if your app could open like a book, transform into a mini tablet, or run two tasks side by side — all in one seamless flow?
That’s no longer a ‘what if.’ It’s already happening.
Mobile technology is evolving with the introduction of folding devices and dual-screen devices. The International Data Corporation predicts that shipments of foldable smartphones will rise to 48.1 million units by 2027, with a 27.6% compound annual growth rate starting from 2023. This represents more than a hardware transformation, as it changes how users interact and their needs, as well as design approaches.
The recently released dual-screen and folding smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip, as well as the Microsoft Surface Duo, among others, enable users to access immersive multitasking features and expanded screen sizes with split-screen options. These devices present novel challenges, including dealing with different screen orientations and adjustable hinges, as well as redesigning user interface content for non-uniform display scales.
So, the big question for designers and app owners is:
What design methods should you implement to create fluid user experiences that maximize the capabilities of foldable and dual-screen devices?
This blog examines the significance of these devices through their business applications and discusses implementation difficulties and successful development methods for new mobile formats.
The mobile market is undergoing a rapid transformation, driven by foldable devices and dual-screen devices, which are leading this shift. Users experience substantial changes in how they operate their applications through these unique hardware solutions. The foldable and dual-screen capabilities enable these devices to deliver dynamic user experiences, which, strictly speaking, cannot be achieved through basic smartphone or tablet screens.
The shifting user experience allows for document reading on one screen while simultaneously taking notes on the second screen or watching a video, all while chat takes place in a separate app, creating opportunities for novel scenarios and user requirements.
Designing for foldable and dual-screen devices is no longer just about keeping up with the trend; it’s about staying relevant and future-ready. Organizations must optimize their apps for various form factors, as non-optimal adaptation results in decreased user engagement, which can lead to marketplace competition from more user-friendly competitors.
Adopting foldable and dual-screen app development is more than a technical upgrade; it’s a strategic business opportunity. Here’s how app owners and businesses can benefit:
The flexibility of foldable devices helps app owners present users with tailored and personalized content options. The flexible screen allows eCommerce apps to display product listings on one pane, together with product details or video demonstrations in a separate section. The interactive combination raises user engagement levels while simultaneously producing comprehensive benefits for each user interaction.
Foldable devices provide application developers the power to transform their productivity and enterprise actions. The task management app allows users to view a calendar display on one screen while creating tasks on another, eliminating the need for page navigation. Your professional-focused app acquires a superior market position because it delivers absolute performance, which executives require to multitask, and that boosts its value distinction from its single-display competitors.
Foldable-ready apps offer better visual structuring and smooth transitions, along with improved app user experiences. Improved app experience length and decreased pattern of user movement away from the app, as well as enhanced user devotion. Users tend to return to apps that improve their device’s functionality, making them more likely to share them with others.
Tech industry leaders Google and Samsung have taken a proactive approach to promoting applications that are compatible with foldable devices. Early adoption provides better market visibility to product users. When app owners develop designs suitable for foldable devices, they obtain placement in curated promotional sections, which drives greater user acquisition and better visibility within their market.
The increased number of foldable users exists with an insufficient number of specific applications designed for their operation. App owners should seize this advantage to take command of their market space because their revolutionary user experiences make them leaders among a handful of foldable-ready providers.
Think of foldable apps not as a luxury but as an early-mover opportunity in a market that’s poised for massive growth.
Designing for foldable and dual-screen devices isn’t just about making your app “fit” the screen — it’s about reimagining how your app interacts with users in this new, flexible space.
Traditional telephones have no similarities with these new devices. At any time, users can open their devices to reveal a mini tablet that allows them to multitask while reading and streaming media. Users gain tablet-sized flexibility after opening their device because they can now browse, stream, multitask, and perform other tasks that were previously impossible. Your app requires intelligence along with flexibility to respond instantly, regardless of the user’s device orientation or holding position.
Let’s explore the best practices that will help you deliver a smooth, delightful experience for your users across every screen, fold, and swipe.
You need to create flexible interfaces that function just like water enters various containers. Modern foldable designs offer users multiple screen dimensions and configurations. A screen module displays larger dimensions when the device is unfolded, while minimizing its size when closed. Your application should use responsive design components, such as Constraint Layout or Jetpack Compose, which automatically adjust to different screen sizes and conditions.
A traditional phone food delivery app presents restaurant names in a list format. Foldable screens enable the presentation of restaurant menus alongside a list on different sides, without requiring the user to navigate between interfaces.
The device goes through various states, from folded to fully opened, and it reaches intermediate positions. Your users risk data entry interruption when forms are interrupted because the device partially folds. You don’t want them to lose all their progress.
Application screen continuity should be implemented to prevent interruptions during device transitions. Your application users will benefit from using a combination of tools, including onConfigurationChanged() and WindowManager, to maintain UI stability and responsiveness throughout transitions.
In a finance app, if a user checks stock charts and folds the device, your app should automatically reposition the chart or maintain its view, rather than restarting or reloading the entire screen.
Many users love multitasking. Users would like to view your app on one screen section while simultaneously using the other section to take notes or generate email replies. Ensure your application operates properly in multi-window mode, allowing it to run alongside other applications across different screen areas. The application should avoid containing elements with fixed widths because these dimensions could become unstable when the available space decreases.
A language learning application requires development, but I’ve chosen this example. When an app can operate on one screen and your companion tools run simultaneously on another monitor, it establishes itself as the ideal support application.
Your design should integrate hinges alongside creases and various postures inherent to foldable screens. The WindowManager library built into Android allows developers to handle these changes through its features.
The toolkit identifies the hinge position as well as angle measurements and distinguishes between flat orientation, tent settings, and partial fold states. The data enables you to keep crucial interface elements separate from the hinge area or enhance split layout structures.
In video streaming apps, you should implement an automatic mechanism to move video playback zones away from the fold to maintain continuous viewing quality.
The way users handle and manage screen activities depends on the specific design of the foldable device. QWERTY devices follow opposite behavioral patterns because foldables require two-handed usage, enabling two-page reading experiences and splitting content between top and bottom sections.
Develop designs that match natural user behaviors. Your app must support easy touch gestures when setting commands to inaccessible locations and perform complete tests for each screen orientation.
An email application allows users to view their inbox on one screen and display an open email on the other, in a format similar to computer-based email viewing. The layout functions optimally because it combines familiar design with dual-screen management capabilities.
As exciting as foldable app development is, it brings its own set of challenges that developers and app owners must prepare for:
Foldable devices exhibit three main physical configurations: fully folded, partially folded, and fully opened states. All states of your app need to operate flawlessly, as any crashes, breaks in the user interface, or ambiguities should be avoided.
Modern foldable devices have non-standard screen setups and dimensions that differ from those of traditional smartphones. This makes designing responsive layouts more complex, as content must look appealing and function appropriately on both narrow and wide screens.
The system benefits from extra processing potential through larger screen dimensions. The optimization of apps must include measures to prevent performance degradation when switching between different modes and to prevent battery drain.
Application developers need to provide support for various interaction approaches, including touch gestures on dual screens, pen input, and on-screen typing, to achieve smooth navigation across all available screen arrangements.
Developing code for foldable devices demands additional thorough testing procedures because users require solutions for how the device switches modes, as well as different hinge positions and split-screen interactions. Consistent operation on diverse foldable devices requires dedicated timescales, specialized instruments, and sufficient funding resources.
Mobile application development for adjustable screens and split displays represents more than just the market following, because it marks the coming wave of user interface evolution. Users anticipate applications that automatically adapt to the different form factors that device manufacturers continually advance through their innovative designs. Foldable devices result in user behaviours that range from dual-screen multitasking to mid-operation device unfolding.
The evolution of app development now requires creators to transcend standard responsiveness since they need to redesign content organization, gesture patterns, and movement transitions. These exciting times provide developers with an exceptional chance to redesign their apps, starting from layouts to interactions and their primary purpose.
Struggling to make your app look great on foldable or dual-screen devices? You’re not alone. Designing for these new formats can be tricky. From layout issues to poor transitions, it’s easy to lose users if your app isn’t optimized. Let us help you create a smooth, flexible experience your users will love—no matter how they hold their device. Talk to our team today and let’s build an app that fits every screen, every time.
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