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/controls. 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.

Controls

Anatomy

In Control Center, a control displays its symbol and, at larger sizes, its title and value.
On the Lock Screen, a control displays its symbol.
On iPhone devices with a control assigned to the Action button, pressing and holding it displays the control’s symbol in the Dynamic Island, as well as its value (if present).

Best practices

Offer controls for actions that provide the most benefit without having to launch your app.

Update controls when someone interacts with them, when an action completes, or remotely with a push notification.

Choose a descriptive symbol that suggests the behavior of the control.

Use symbol animations to highlight state changes.

Select a tint color that works with your app’s brand.

Help people provide additional information the system needs to perform an action.

Provide hint text for the Action button.

If your control title or value can vary, include a placeholder.

Hide sensitive information when the device is locked.

Require authentication for actions that affect security.

Controls

Controls

Anatomy

Best practices

Camera experiences on a locked device

Platform considerations

Resources

Developer documentation

Change log

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