Does HIG Doctor expose an MCP server?

Yes. The hig-mcp server exposes hig_list_skills, hig_lookup, and hig_audit so MCP-compatible coding agents can list HIG skills, fetch reference topics, and run project audits.

What frameworks can the HIG audit CLI scan?

The audit CLI scans SwiftUI, UIKit, React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte, Angular, React Native, Flutter, Jetpack Compose, Android XML, HTML, and CSS.

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. HIG Doctor 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. HIG Doctor 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. HIG Doctor 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. HIG Doctor 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. HIG Doctor 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. HIG Doctor provides guidelines for the full notification system including widgets and complications.

Split views — Apple HIG Design Guidelines

Best practices

To support navigation, persistently highlight the current selection in each pane that leads to the detail view.

Consider letting people drag and drop content between panes.

Platform considerations

iOS

Prefer using a split view in a regular — not a compact — environment.

iPadOS

Account for narrow, compact, and intermediate window widths.

macOS

Vertical
Horizontal
Multiple

Set reasonable defaults for minimum and maximum pane sizes.

Consider letting people hide a pane when it makes sense.

Provide multiple ways to reveal hidden panes.

Prefer the thin divider style.

tvOS

Choose a split view layout that keeps the panes looking balanced.

Display a single title above a split view, helping people understand the content as a whole.

Choose the title’s alignment based on the type of content the secondary pane contains.

visionOS

To display supplementary information, prefer a split view instead of a new window.

watchOS

Automatically display the most relevant detail view.

If your app displays multiple detail pages, place the detail views in a verticaltab view.

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

Apple HIG text and imagery are © Apple Inc. This page is a structured index of Apple’s canonical documentation (snapshot 2025-02-02), provided for quick reference and AI-agent consumption — it isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Apple. Read the original at developer.apple.com.

Split views

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