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/privacy. 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.

Privacy

Best practices

Request access only to data that you actually need.

Be transparent about how your app collects and uses people’s data.

Process data on the device where possible.

Adopt system-defined privacy protections and follow security best practices.

Requesting permission

Personal data, including location, health, financial, contact, and other personally identifying information
User-generated content like emails, messages, calendar data, contacts, gameplay information, Apple Music activity, HomeKit data, and audio, video, and photo content
Protected resources like Bluetooth peripherals, home automation features, Wi-Fi connections, and local networks
Device capabilities like camera and microphone
In a visionOS app running in a Full Space, ARKit data, such as hand tracking, plane estimation, image anchoring, and world tracking
The device’s advertising identifier, which supports app tracking

Request permission only when your app clearly needs access to the data or resource.

Avoid requesting permission at launch unless the data or resource is required for your app to function.

Write copy that clearly describes how your app uses the ability, data, or resource you’re requesting.

Example 1
Example 2
Example 3

Pre-alert screens, windows, or views

Include only one button and make it clear that it opens the system alert.

Don’t include additional actions in your custom screen or window.

Tracking requests

Never precede the system-provided alert with a custom screen or window that could confuse or mislead people.

Incentive
Imitation request
Alert image
Alert annotation

Location button

Consider using the location button to give people a lightweight way to share their location for specific app features.

Consider customizing the location button to harmonize with your UI.

Choose the system-provided title that works best with your feature, such as “Current Location” or “Share My Current Location.”
Choose the filled or outlined location glyph.
Select a background color and a color for the title and glyph.
Adjust the button’s corner radius.

Protecting data

Avoid relying solely on passwords for authentication.

Store sensitive information in a keychain.

Never store passwords or other secure content in plain-text files.

Avoid inventing custom authentication schemes.

Platform considerations

macOS

Sign your app with a valid Developer ID.

Protect people’s data with app sandboxing.

Avoid making assumptions about who is signed in.

Privacy

Privacy

Best practices

Requesting permission

Pre-alert screens, windows, or views

Tracking requests

Location button

Protecting data

Platform considerations

macOS

visionOS

Resources

Developer documentation

Videos

Change log

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