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/game-center. 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.

Game Center

Discover new games their friends are playing.
Seamlessly invite friends to play.
See the latest activity from their games across the system, in the Apple Games app, the App Store, notifications, and more.

Accessing Game Center

Integrating the access point

Display the access point in menu screens.

Avoid placing controls near the access point.

Consider pausing your game while the Game Overlay or dashboard is present.

Be succinct when describing achievements.

Give players a sense of progress.

Creating achievement images

Design rich, high-quality images that help players feel rewarded.

Create artwork in the appropriate size and format.

iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS
tvOS

Leaderboards

Choose a leaderboard type.

A classic leaderboard tracks a player’s best all-time score. Classic leaderboards are always active with no ending. The following are examples of goals you might include in a classic leaderboard:
- Strive for the most perfect score in a rhythm game.
- Collect the most coins in a single dungeon run.
- Achieve the longest continuous time in an endless runner.
A recurring leaderboard resets based on a time interval you define, such as every week or every day. Recurring leaderboards can increase engagement by giving players more chances to take the lead. The following are examples of features that work well with recurring leaderboards:
- Daily rotating puzzles
- Seasonal or holiday-themed events
- Weekly leaderboards for different battle modes

Take advantage of leaderboard sets for multiple leaderboards.

Difficulty modes (Easy, Standard, Hard)
Activity types (Combat, Crafting, Farming)
Genres and themes (Disco, Pop, Rock)

Add leaderboard images.

iOS, iPadOS, macOS
tvOS

Challenges

Create engaging challenges.

Complete the fastest lap in a racing level.
Defeat the most enemies in a single round.
Solve a daily puzzle with the fewest mistakes.

Avoid creating challenges that track overall progress or personal best scores.

Make it easy to jump into your challenge.

Create high-quality artwork that encourages players to engage with your challenges.

Multiplayer activities

Use party codes to invite players to multiplayer activities.

Allow players to join gameplay late, leave early, and return later.
Provide a way for players to view the current party code in your game.
Allow players to enter a party code manually.

Support multiplayer activities through in-game UI.

Provide engaging activity artwork.

Game Center

Game Center

Accessing Game Center

Integrating the access point

Using custom UI

Achievements

Integrating achievements into your game

Creating achievement images

Leaderboards

Challenges

Multiplayer activities

Platform considerations

tvOS

watchOS

Resources

Developer documentation

Videos

Change log

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