# Complications

Source: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/complications
Skill: hig-components-system
Snapshot: 2025-02-02

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<!-- hig-doctor:attribution -->
> **Source**: Apple Inc. Canonical content at https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/complications.
> This file is a structured index of that content, snapshot 2025-02-02.
> Apple HIG text and imagery are © Apple Inc.; this repository provides organization and cross-referencing for AI agent consumption only.

# Complications

## Best practices

**Identify essential, dynamic content that people want to view at a glance.**

**Support all complication families when possible.**

**Consider creating multiple complications for each family.**

**Define a different deep link for each complication you support.**

**Keep privacy in mind.**

**Carefully consider when to update data.**

## Visual design

**Choose a ring or gauge style based on the data you need to display.**

  * The closed style can convey a value that’s a percentage of a whole, such as for a battery gauge.

  * The open style works well when the minimum and maximum values are arbitrary — or don’t represent a percentage of the whole — like for a speed indicator.

  * Similar to the open style, the segmented style also displays values within an app-defined range, and can convey rapid value changes, such as in the Noise complication.

**Make sure images look good in tinted mode.**

  * Avoid using color as the only way to communicate important information. You want people to get the same information in tinted mode as they do in nontinted mode.

  * When necessary, provide an alternative tinted-mode version of a full-color image. If your full-color image doesn’t look good when it’s desaturated, you can supply a different version of the image for the system to use in tinted mode.

**Recognize that people might prefer to use tinted mode for complications, instead of viewing them in full color.**

**When creating complication content, generally use line widths of two points or greater.**

**Provide a set of static placeholder images for each complication you support.**

## Circular

  * Style: Rounded

  * Weight: Medium

  * Text size: 12 pt (40mm), 12.5 pt (41mm), 13 pt (44mm), 14.5 pt (45mm/49mm)

  * Style: Rounded

  * Weight: Medium

  * Text size: 34.5 pt (40mm), 36.5 pt (41mm), 36.5 pt (44mm), 41 pt (45mm/49mm)

## Corner

  * Style: Rounded

  * Weight: Semibold

  * Text size: 10 pt (40mm), 10.5 pt (41mm), 11 pt (44mm), 12 pt (45mm/49mm)

## Rectangular

  * By supplying background color or content that communicates information or aids in recognition

  * By using [intents](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appintents/app-intents) to specify relevancy, and help ensure that your widget is displayed in the Smart Stack at times that are most appropriate and useful to people

  * By creating a custom layout of your information that is optimized for the Smart Stack

  * Style: Rounded

  * Weight: Medium

  * Text size: 16.5 pt (40mm), 17.5 pt (41mm), 18 pt (44mm), 19.5 pt (45mm/49mm)

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For the complete guidance, including worked examples and illustrations, see the canonical page: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/complications