October 21st, 2021

See your app on Microsoft Surface Duo 2!

Hakon Strande
Principal Program Manager

Hello Android developers!

Now that Surface Duo 2 is readily available, there’s even more reason to start enhancing your Android apps for foldable devices. Visit our developer documentation to get started!

Surface Duo 2 Attract Light 1x1

Figure 1: Surface Duo 2 is now available!

Surface Duo 2 emulator

If you don’t yet have a device, you can easily build and test apps for Surface Duo 2 using our latest Android 11 emulator. Download and install the Surface Duo 2 emulator to test your apps in single and dual-screen modes, including adjustments based on hinge angle:

Graphical user interface

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Figure 2: Surface Duo 2 emulator device post window

Jetpack Window Manager samples

Google provides the Jetpack Window Manager library and SlidingPaneLayout control for Android developers to adapt their apps for foldable and dual-screen devices. We’ve built a variety of samples to help Kotlin and Java developers learn how to use these APIs, as well as instructions for Jetpack Compose.

Developers using cross-platforms tools like Xamarin, Unity, React Native, Flutter, or web development can also build dual-screen and foldable-aware apps.

Design Kit 2.1

The Surface Duo Design Kit has also been updated. The Figma resource now includes Surface Duo 2 device frames, in addition to our user experience design guidelines, including:

  • Design patterns such as list-detail, expanded canvas, dual view, two page, and companion pane
  • Pen interaction guidance
  • Video and media tips
  • Safe areas, postures, controls, and layouts
  • Components for prototyping

Design Kit 2

Figure 3: Visit the Surface Duo Design Kit

Visit the Surface Duo design documentation or interact directly with the Design Kit in Figma.

Develop in your language

Our dual-screen developer documentation is localized into a number of languages, including French, German, Japanese, Spanish, and more. We’re also adding translations to our samples so they’re more accessible to developers everywhere.

docs.microsoft.com dual-screen home page in Japanese

Figure 4: documentation localized into other languages

Resources and feedback

For coding tips, visit the Surface Duo developer documentation , our samples, and Google’s Android large screen development guidance.

If you have any questions, or would like to tell us about your dual-screen apps, use the feedback forum or message us on Twitter @surfaceduodev

If your app team is interested in deeper engineering engagement with Microsoft to explore how foldables like Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 can be used to create more value for your users, we provide direct engineering consultancy with dedicated development resources during your app team’s exploration and production phases. Connect with us privately using DM on Twitter @surfaceduodev to set up a meet-n-greet.

Finally, please join us for our dual-screen developer livestream at 11am (Pacific time) each Friday – mark it in your calendar and check out the archives on YouTube.

Author

Hakon Strande
Principal Program Manager

Program Manager at Microsoft working on dual screen developer experiences and application compatibility on the very first Microsoft personal computing device running the Android operating system. Worked on Windows XP, Windows Vista (shhh), Windows 7, Windows 8, Surface 1st Gen, HoloLens, Windows Mixed Reality, HoloLens 2.

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