Huawei (华为) Pura X Max tip: one-handed mode can force apps back to 18:9, says company CTO

Quick fix from a top Huawei rep

Huawei Terminal BG CTO Li Xiaolong (李小龙) — reportedly hailed online as a "gold-star customer service" representative by users — posted a short video showing a quick workaround when apps are not optimised for the Pura X Max. What to do when an app's interface is clipped on the phone's wide outer display? Slide the bottom navigation bar left or right and hold it to enter one-handed mode, Li demonstrated, which immediately restores the external screen's aspect ratio to a conventional 18:9.

How the workaround addresses compatibility

The Pura X Max's outer display is comparatively short and wide, using a √2:1 "paper-like" aspect ratio that can leave some legacy apps with truncated bottoms if they haven't been individually adapted. The one-handed mode essentially rescales the UI area, giving users a usable interim solution until developers update their apps for the unusual panel shape. The tip is practical and simple — no reboot, no settings menu digging.

Product context

The Pura X Max, China’s industry-first horizontal wide foldable, went on sale in April and ships across the lineup with the Kirin 9030 Pro chip. It has been reported that the device starts at 10,999 yuan. Huawei has positioned the √2:1 panel as advantageous for video and gaming, though that same uniqueness drives the compatibility issues highlighted by users and addressed by Li.

Sales and geopolitical backdrop

It has been reported that by 2026 W19 (May 4–10) Huawei Pura X Max shipments exceeded 250,000 units, with roughly 112,700 standard units and about 140,300 collector editions sold — figures that underscore demand for innovative form factors. That momentum comes amid a broader backdrop in which it has been reported that Western sanctions have constrained Huawei’s access to some advanced chips, prompting the company to double down on in-house and domestic supply-chain solutions. For now, short-term software workarounds like Li’s one-handed mode may be the simplest answer for frustrated users while app developers catch up.