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/tab-bars. 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.

Tab bars

Best practices

Use a tab bar to support navigation, not to provide actions.

Make sure the tab bar is visible when people navigate to different sections of your app.

Use the appropriate number of tabs required to help people navigate your app.

Avoid overflow tabs.

Don’t disable or hide tab bar buttons, even when their content is unavailable.

Include tab labels to help with navigation.

Consider using SF Symbols to provide familiar, scalable tab bar icons.

Use a badge to indicate that critical information is available.

Avoid applying a similar color to tab labels and content layer backgrounds.

Tab bar
Sidebar

Prefer a tab bar for navigation.

Let people customize the tab bar.

tvOS

Specify a tint, color, or image for the tab bar background
Choose a font for tab items, including a different font for the selected item
Specify tints for selected and unselected items
Add button icons, like settings and search

Be aware of tab bar scrolling behaviors.

In a live-viewing app, organize tabs in a consistent way.

Live content
Cloud DVR or other recorded content
Other content

Tab bars

Tab bars

Best practices

Platform considerations

iOS

iPadOS

tvOS

visionOS

Resources

Developer documentation

Videos

Change log

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