Best productivity apps for the iPhone Duo: tasks, notes, calendar and email
If you are going to work or get organized with the iPhone Duo, the 7.6-inch inner display is what makes the difference: more tasks, more notes or more inbox at once. But only apps that have been updated take advantage of it. This is a selection of productivity apps that Apple or the specialist press list as optimized, with what each one does when you unfold the phone. Facts checked on 9 November 2026; they change every week.
To get organized on the iPhone Duo there are already optimized options: Things, Fantastical, Bear, Craft, Notewise, Airmail and, since 2 November, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Google's document apps and Teams are not yet. With split screen you can have two apps open at once on an iPhone for the first time.
The apps at a glance
| App | What it is for | What it does on the inner display | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Things | Tasks and projects | Shows more content at once | Optimized (Apple's list, 22 Oct) |
| Fantastical | Calendar and tasks | Calendars, tasks and menus together | Optimized (Apple) |
| Bear | Notes | More content visible | Optimized (Apple) |
| Craft | Notes and documents | Style gallery and live preview side by side | Optimized (Apple) |
| Notewise | Notes with AI | Notes, documents and AI tools in one view | Optimized (Apple) |
| Airmail | More inbox and messages without switching views | Optimized (Apple) | |
| Cardhop | Contacts | Looking up contacts in split screen | Optimized (Apple) |
| Tiimo | Planning your day | Compact view on the outer display and a timer when propped up | Optimized (Apple) |
| Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote | Microsoft documents | Formatting tools next to the document | Updated on 2 November (MacRumors) |
| Goodnotes | Handwritten notes | No detail published | Optimized (MacRumors, 6 Nov) |
| Slack, Zoom | Teamwork | No detail published | Optimized (Apple) |
And the ones that are not yet, according to MacRumors' count of 6 November: Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, and Microsoft Teams.
Tasks, calendar and notes
Things and Fantastical. These are the two that suit a wide screen best. Things shows more of your list at once, and Fantastical puts calendars, tasks and menus in a single view, which on a normal phone means switching screens.
Bear, Craft and Notewise. Three different ways of taking notes. Bear is for writing fast; Craft is for building documents with a live preview beside them; Notewise is for mixing notes, documents and AI tools.
Notion and Todoist. We could not confirm their status in any official source or in the press. They run on the Duo like any iPhone app; if you do not see the "Made for iPhone Duo" badge on their page, they probably open centered with empty space. Here is how to check whether an app is optimized.
Email, documents and work
Airmail shows more inbox and the message at the same time. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote were updated on 2 November, according to MacRumors. Outlook is a halfway case: Apple said on 22 October that it would arrive "in the coming weeks" and MacRumors lists it as optimized, but we could not confirm the date. Check its App Store page.
Slack and Zoom appear among the work apps already adapted in Apple's announcement. Google's document apps and Teams still open as on a regular iPhone for now.
Two apps at once: split screen
It is the most useful new feature for working. According to Apple, the Duo is the first iPhone that can open two apps side by side with Split View. What we know:
- It works with the phone open in landscape, and also in portrait (for example, a video on top and another app below), according to 9to5Mac.
- In landscape the two apps share the screen equally (The Apple Post).
- You can open two windows of the same app: Mail, Notes, Safari and Files support it.
- You can save a pair of apps by tapping the divider, to bring it back later.
One open question: Apple's website uses dragging a photo from Photos into Mail as an example, but 9to5Mac says there is no drag and drop between apps. Test it before counting on it.
For your money: Neto
Neto is our app, so take that with a pinch of salt. It is a personal finance app for iPhone and Android that brings your spending, savings and investments together in one figure, your net worth, without connecting your bank: you log each expense yourself in a couple of taps. It has been adapted to the Duo since version 2.4.24: open in landscape, the tab bar moves to a side rail and the home screen splits into two columns, with your transactions on one side and today's spending, your accounts and spending by category on the other. Closed, it works like on any iPhone.
How to choose without overthinking it
- Start with what you already use. If your task or notes app is optimized, there is no need to switch.
- If you are missing one, try the closest match from the table: Things or Fantastical to get organized, Bear or Craft to write.
- Check the App Store page on the Duo itself: the badge is a good clue, though not a guarantee.
- For more adapted apps outside productivity, see the best iPhone Duo apps.
Frequently asked questions
Which productivity apps are optimized for the iPhone Duo?
According to Apple and MacRumors, Things, Fantastical, Bear, Craft, Notewise, Airmail, Cardhop, Tiimo, Goodnotes, Slack and Zoom, and since 2 November Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. The lists change every week.
Do Google Docs and Teams work on the iPhone Duo?
They work like any iPhone app, but according to MacRumors, as of 6 November they were not optimized: they do not fill the inner display.
Can I have two apps open at once on the iPhone Duo?
Yes. It is the first iPhone that can do it, with Split View. It works in landscape and portrait, and Mail, Notes, Safari and Files support two windows of the same app.
Is Notion optimized for the iPhone Duo?
We could not confirm it in any official source. It runs like any iPhone app; check whether its page carries the "Made for iPhone Duo" badge.
Is there a spending app adapted to the iPhone Duo?
Neto, our app, has been adapted since version 2.4.24, with a side rail and a two-column home screen when you open the phone in landscape.
Founder of Neto. Writes about expense tracking, net worth and investing from your phone, without connecting your bank.
Your money clear, without spreadsheets.
Neto is the personal finance app for iPhone and Android that works without connecting your bank: your accounts and spending, free; and with Neto PRO, your investments and debts inside your net worth.
Keep reading
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This guide is general information and is not financial or investment advice.