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/pointing-devices. 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.

Pointing devices

Best practices

Be consistent when responding to mouse and trackpad gestures.

Avoid redefining systemwide trackpad gestures.

Provide a consistent experience in your app, whether people are using gestures, eyes, a pointing device, or a keyboard.

Let people use the pointer to reveal and hide controls that automatically minimize or fade out.

Provide a consistent experience when people press and hold a modifier key while interacting with objects in your app.

Platform considerations

iPadOS

Allow multiple selection in custom views when necessary.

Distinguish between pointer and finger input only if it provides value.

Pointer shape and content effects

Pointer accessories

Use clear, simple images to create custom accessories.

Consider using the accessory transition to signal a change in an element’s state or behavior.

Pointer magnetism

Standard pointers and effects

When possible, support the system-provided content effects.

Use highlight for a small element that has a transparent background.
Use lift for a small element that has an opaque background.
Use hover for large elements and customize the scale, tint, and shadow attributes as needed (for guidance, see Customizing pointers).

Prefer the system-provided pointer appearances for standard buttons and text-entry areas.

Add padding around interactive elements to create comfortable hit regions.

Create contiguous hit regions for custom bar buttons.

Specify the corner radius of a nonstandard element that receives the lift effect.

Customizing pointers

Prefer system-provided pointer effects for custom elements that behave like standard elements.

Use pointer effects in consistent ways throughout your app.

Avoid creating gratuitous pointer and content effects.

Keep custom pointer shapes simple.

Consider enhancing the pointer experience by displaying custom annotations that provide useful information.

Avoid displaying instructional text with a pointer.

Consider the interplay of shadow, scale, and element spacing when defining custom hover effects.

Pointing devices

Pointing devices

Best practices

Platform considerations

iPadOS

Pointer shape and content effects

Pointer accessories

Pointer magnetism

Standard pointers and effects

Customizing pointers

macOS

Pointers

visionOS

Resources

Developer documentation

Videos

Change log

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