Images

FoundationsFoundations

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

Images

Resolution

Provide high-resolution assets for all bitmap images in your app, for every device you support.

In general, design images at the lowest resolution and scale them up to create high-resolution assets.

Formats

Best practices

Include a color profile with each image.

Always test images on a range of actual devices.

Platform considerations

tvOS

Parallax effect

Layered images

Use standard interface elements to display layered images.

Identify logical foreground, middle, and background elements.

Generally, keep text in the foreground.

Keep the background layer opaque.

Keep layering simple and subtle.

Leave a safe zone around the foreground layers of your image.

Always preview layered images.

visionOS

Create a layered app icon.

Prefer vector-based art for 2D images.

If you need to use rasterized images, balance quality with performance as you choose a resolution.

Spatial photos and spatial scenes

Make sure spatial photos render correctly in your app.

Prefer the feathered glass background effect to display text over spatial photos.

Take visual comfort into consideration when you make spatial photos from existing 2D content.

Display spatial photos and spatial scenes in standalone views.

Use spatial scenes in your app for specific moments.

When displaying immersively, prefer minimal UI.

Prefer displaying larger spatial scenes that you center in someone’s field of view.

watchOS

In general, avoid transparency to keep image files small.

Use autoscaling PDFs to let you provide a single asset for all screen sizes.

Resources

Developer documentation

Videos

Change log


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

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