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/inclusion. 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.

Inclusion

Inclusive by design

Age
Gender and gender identity
Race and ethnicity
Sexuality
Physical attributes
Cognitive attributes
Permanent, temporary, and situational disabilities
Language and culture
Religion
Education
Political or philosophical opinions
Social and economic context

Welcoming language

Consider the tone of your copy from different perspectives.

Pay attention to how you refer to people.

Avoid using specialized or technical terms without defining them.

Replace colloquial expressions with plain language.

Consider carefully before including humor.

Being approachable

Present a clear, straightforward interface. To help you design a simple interface that fits in with other experiences on each platform, see Designing for iOS, Designing for iPadOS, Designing for macOS, Designing for tvOS, Designing for visionOS, Designing for watchOS, and Designing for games.
Build in ways to learn how to use your app or game. Consider designing an onboarding flow that helps people who are new to your experience take a step-by-step approach while letting others skip straight to the content they want. For guidance, see Onboarding.

What was your favorite subject in college?
What was the make of your first car?
How did you feel when you first saw a rainbow?
What’s your favorite activity?
What was the name of your first friend?
What quality describes you best?

Accessibility

Each disability is a spectrum. For example, visual disabilities range from low vision to complete blindness, and include things like color blindness, blurry vision, light sensitivity, and peripheral vision loss.
Everyone can experience disabilities. In addition to disabilities that most people experience as they age, there are temporary disabilities — like short-term hearing loss due to an infection — and situational disabilities — like being unable to hear while on a noisy train — that can affect everyone at various times.

Avoid images and language that exclude people with disabilities.

Take a people-first approach when writing about people with disabilities.

Prioritize simplicity and perceivability.

Inclusion

Inclusion

Inclusive by design

Welcoming language

Being approachable

Gender identity

People and settings

Avoiding stereotypes

Accessibility

Languages

Platform considerations

Resources

Developer documentation

Videos

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