How should I design an iPad app using Apple's HIG?

Apple's HIG recommends using sidebars instead of bottom tab bars on iPadOS, supporting split views for multitasking, and adding pointer interactions. Apple HIG Skills provides instant, AI-ready guidance on all iPadOS conventions.

What are Apple's guidelines for adding Apple Pay?

Apple's HIG specifies exact payment button placement, flow design, error states, and UX patterns required for App Store approval. Apple HIG Skills gives your AI agent access to the full Apple Pay design guidelines.

How do I make my Apple app accessible?

Apple's HIG requires support for VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, sufficient color contrast ratios, and motor accessibility features like Switch Control. Apple HIG Skills covers all accessibility foundations and requirements.

How do I design for visionOS and Apple Vision Pro?

Apple's HIG for visionOS covers ornaments, volumes, immersive spaces, eye tracking, and spatial interaction patterns. Apple HIG Skills includes dedicated visionOS platform guidance and spatial layout references.

What are Apple's dark mode design guidelines?

Apple's HIG specifies using system semantic colors, material backgrounds, elevated surfaces, and vibrancy for dark mode. Apps should test in both modes and avoid hard-coded color values. Apple HIG Skills covers the full dark mode specification.

How should I design notifications for iOS apps?

Apple's HIG covers notification grouping, Live Activities, action buttons, and respecting user attention. Apple HIG Skills provides guidelines for the full notification system including widgets and complications.

Source: Apple Inc. Canonical content at https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/activity-rings. 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.

Activity rings

Best practices

Display Activity rings when they’re relevant to the purpose of your app.

Use Activity rings only to show Move, Exercise, and Stand information.

Use Activity rings to show progress for a single person.

Always keep the visual appearance of Activity rings the same, regardless of where you display them.

Never change the colors of the rings; for example, don’t use filters or modify opacity.
Always display Activity rings on a black background.
Prefer enclosing the rings and background within a circle. To do this, adjust the corner radius of the enclosing view rather than applying a circular mask.
Ensure that the black background remains visible around the outermost ring. If necessary, add a thin, black stroke around the outer edge of the ring, and avoid including a gradient, shadow, or any other visual effect.
Always scale the rings appropriately so they don’t seem disconnected or out of place.
When necessary, design the surrounding interface to blend with the rings; never change the rings to blend with the surrounding interface.

To display a label or value that’s directly associated with an Activity ring, use the colors that match it.

Maintain Activity ring margins.

Differentiate other ring-like elements from Activity rings.

Don’t send notifications that repeat the same information the Activity app sends.

Don’t use Activity rings for decoration.

Don’t use Activity rings for branding.

Platform considerations

iOS

With an Apple Watch paired, iOS shows all three Activity rings.
Without an Apple Watch paired, iOS shows the Move ring only, which represents an approximation of a person’s activity based on their steps and workout information from other apps.

Activity rings

Activity rings

Best practices

Platform considerations

iOS

Resources

Developer documentation

Videos

Change log

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