# Support multiple scenes — iPhone Duo is the first iPhone that can

> iPhone Duo is the first iPhone to support multiple instances of an app. Apps that already support this on iPad get it for free.

Source: https://iphoneduosupport.com/checklist/multiple-scenes-support/

Severity: major
Category: scenes
Applies to: swiftui, uikit
Symptom: Users cannot open a second window, or the option to do so is missing where it would be useful.
Sources: https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/tech-talks/111464/
Last verified: 2026-09-09

---

Apple confirms iPhone Duo is the **first iPhone supporting multiple app instances**, and that apps already supporting it on iPad will support it here.

## Enable it

Declare multi-scene support in your `Info.plist`:

```xml
<key>UIApplicationSupportsMultipleScenes</key>
<true/>
```

Two constraints to know:

- New windows can only be created on the **inner display**. The outer display is reserved.
- Because of that, the ability to open a window comes and goes as the device folds.

## Request scenes correctly

Use `UIWindowSceneActivation` to request a new scene. Apple is explicit that you **must handle errors** when requesting one, since the request can fail depending on device state. The action hides itself automatically when new windows are not available, so a correctly built UI does not offer an option that cannot work.

## Design for it, not just enable it

Multiple scenes are worth it when two instances of your app are genuinely useful side by side — two documents, two conversations, a reference beside a draft. If your app is a single linear flow, enabling multi-scene adds state-restoration complexity for little benefit.

If you do enable it, audit anything that assumes one instance: singletons holding view state, notification handling that presents UI globally, and analytics that assume one session per launch.

## How to verify

Open a second window on the inner display, use both, then fold the device closed and open it again. Both scenes should restore with their own state intact, and the new-window affordance should disappear cleanly when unavailable rather than failing on tap.

---

Published by iPhone Duo Support (https://iphoneduosupport.com). Not affiliated with Apple Inc.