Introduction

The mobile landscape is evolving rapidly, and one of the most exciting advancements in recent years has been the rise of foldable devices. From Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold to the Google Pixel Fold, these devices offer a dynamic new form factor that combines the portability of a phone with the screen real estate of a tablet. But with this innovation comes new design challenges—and opportunities—for app developers.

If you're involved in mobile application development, understanding how to adapt your apps for foldable screens is no longer optional—it's essential. In this blog, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to design apps that look and perform beautifully on foldable devices.

1. Understand the Foldable Form Factor

Foldable devices introduce a unique dual-state experience—closed (phone mode) and open (tablet mode). Some devices fold vertically like a book, while others fold horizontally like a flip phone. This means your app needs to seamlessly adapt to multiple screen sizes and aspect ratios.

The user experience changes dramatically when a screen unfolds. The extra space allows for multi-tasking, split-screen views, and enhanced content display. As a developer, your goal is to ensure your app works intuitively in both modes without forcing users to restart or lose their place.

2. Use Responsive Layouts and Flexible UI

With foldables, responsive design isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. Unlike traditional devices, foldables can switch screen sizes on the fly. This makes it vital to use constraint-based layouts (like ConstraintLayout in Android) that automatically adjust to the available screen real estate.

Responsive layouts ensure that buttons, images, text blocks, and other components reflow properly across different configurations. Avoid hardcoding dimensions or relying on fixed pixel values. Use scalable units and containers that adapt dynamically.

Developers offering mobile app development services must think of UI components in a fluid and flexible manner. This often means testing your app across multiple fold patterns, screen sizes, and orientations to create a consistent user experience.

3. Embrace Multi-Window and Continuity

Foldable devices encourage multitasking, allowing users to run two or more apps side-by-side. Your app should support multi-window mode gracefully. For instance, avoid assuming that your app always occupies the full screen. It should remain fully functional even when displayed in a smaller or partial window.

Another key feature is app continuity—where the app retains its state when transitioning from folded to unfolded mode. Imagine reading an article in folded mode and seamlessly continuing it on a larger screen once the device is unfolded. That’s the smooth transition users expect.

As a mobile app development company, investing in continuity ensures users don’t feel disrupted or frustrated during these transitions. This involves saving UI states, using dynamic layouts, and managing screen lifecycle events efficiently.

4. Handle Hinge and Fold Awareness

Unlike flat devices, foldables have hinges that divide the screen into separate zones. Depending on how the device folds, the hinge might obscure certain parts of your app’s interface. Google’s Jetpack WindowManager library can help developers detect the hinge location and adjust content placement accordingly.

Your design should never place important information, buttons, or interactive elements in the fold area. You may need to redesign your layout to work around the hinge—sometimes even rethinking how your app displays content altogether.

Advanced mobile application development strategies should include hinge-aware layouts to improve usability and aesthetic appeal. This not only ensures functionality but also adds a professional polish to the final product.

5. Optimize for App Pairs and Split Screens

Foldables allow users to launch and use app pairs—two apps side by side, often saved as a combination. For example, a user might open a note-taking app next to a browser to take notes while reading. Your app should be ready to work in this kind of paired environment.

Don’t assume your app will always be center stage. Optimize for split-view modes by making key UI components accessible and visible even when space is limited. Focus on content prioritization and adaptive resizing.

Those offering mobile app development services should also pay close attention to how their apps perform when running simultaneously with others. Memory usage, layout flexibility, and responsiveness all become even more important in this context.

6. Prioritize Touch Interactions and Gestures

Foldable devices come with larger screens, and users expect intuitive, touch-friendly interactions. Buttons should be appropriately sized, gestures should be smooth, and navigation should feel natural—whether in phone mode or tablet mode.

In landscape or unfolded mode, users often use both thumbs or multiple fingers for input, which shifts the “natural touch zone.” App designers need to be aware of these zones and design interfaces accordingly. Misplaced interactive elements can frustrate users or lead to poor engagement.

This is where the user-centric mindset of a skilled mobile app development company plays a huge role—by focusing not just on what looks good, but also what feels right in the user's hand.

7. Consider Device-Specific Testing

Foldables aren’t all the same. Differences in hinge design, screen ratios, aspect dimensions, and software behavior can lead to inconsistent performance across devices. Testing on emulators is helpful, but real-device testing is critical.

Developers should invest in a range of physical foldable devices or use cloud-based testing tools that simulate foldable behavior more accurately than traditional emulators. Remember, what works perfectly on the Galaxy Z Fold might need tweaking for the Surface Duo.

While not every mobile app development company has access to all foldable devices, prioritizing a few of the most popular models is a practical first step. Testing thoroughly now saves time and user complaints later.

8. Follow Platform Guidelines and Updates

Both Android and iOS are adapting to support foldable experiences better. Android 12L and later versions introduced features specifically for large screens and foldables, including layout suggestions, screen continuity APIs, and multi-window enhancements.

Staying updated with official documentation and platform guidelines ensures your app not only works well but also uses native features and behaviors optimally. That leads to better performance, higher ratings, and improved user trust.

9. Focus on Future-Ready Design Principles

Foldables are a glimpse into the future of mobile tech. They represent not just a change in form, but also in user expectations. People now want more out of their devices—more screen, more flexibility, more control. Your app should reflect that.

Design for tomorrow. Build with modular UI components that can scale. Think beyond fixed layouts and consider how your app could evolve as screens continue to change. This future-ready mindset sets apart an average app from a great one.

If you're in mobile application development, adopting foldable-first principles now gives you a head start in a rapidly expanding market. Your users will notice—and appreciate—the difference.

10. Keep User Experience at the Core

Ultimately, the success of any app on a foldable device comes down to one thing: user experience. Design decisions should always revolve around how the user interacts with the app, how comfortable they feel navigating it, and how much value they gain from it.

Whether you’re building a productivity app, a game, or a social platform, keep refining and testing until the experience feels seamless across all screen states. The technical challenges are many, but so are the opportunities to stand out.

Conclusion

Designing for foldable devices is more than just adjusting dimensions—it's about reimagining mobile experiences. The shift toward flexible screens brings complexity, but it also brings creativity and innovation. For those involved in mobile app development, this is a chance to lead rather than follow.

By embracing the nuances of foldable form factors today, you're setting your apps up for tomorrow’s market—one where users expect adaptability, fluidity, and forward-thinking design.