// Use when designing iOS interfaces, implementing accessibility (VoiceOver, Dynamic Type), handling dark mode, ensuring adequate touch targets, providing animation/haptic feedback, or requesting user permissions. Apple Human Interface Guidelines for iOS compliance.
| name | ios-hig |
| description | Use when designing iOS interfaces, implementing accessibility (VoiceOver, Dynamic Type), handling dark mode, ensuring adequate touch targets, providing animation/haptic feedback, or requesting user permissions. Apple Human Interface Guidelines for iOS compliance. |
Apple's Human Interface Guidelines define the visual language, interaction patterns, and accessibility standards that make iOS apps feel native and intuitive. The core principle: clarity and consistency through thoughtful design.
ALWAYS load reference files if there is even a small chance the content may be required. It's better to have the context than to miss a pattern or make a mistake.
| Reference | Load When |
|---|---|
| Interaction | Touch targets, navigation, layout, hierarchy, or gesture patterns |
| Content | Empty states, writing copy, typography, or placeholder text |
| Visual Design | Colors, materials, contrast, dark mode, or SF Symbols |
| Accessibility | VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, Reduce Motion, or accessibility labels |
| Feedback | Animations, haptics, loading states, or error messages |
| Performance | Responsiveness, system components, or app launch |
| Privacy | Permission requests, data handling, or privacy-sensitive APIs |
Touch targets smaller than 44x44 points — Buttons and interactive elements must be at least 44x44 points (iOS) to accommodate thumbs. Smaller targets cause frustrated users and accessibility failures.
Ignoring Dynamic Type constraints — Text with fixed sizes doesn't respect user accessibility settings. Use Dynamic Type sizes, test with Large or Extra Large settings, and avoid hardcoded font sizes.
Insufficient color contrast in dark mode — Colors that work in light mode may fail accessibility in dark mode. Test with Reduce Contrast accessibility setting enabled for both modes.
Over-animating transitions — Animations that feel smooth at 60fps can trigger motion sickness in users with vestibular issues. Respect Reduce Motion settings and keep animations under 300ms.
Missing VoiceOver labels on custom controls — Custom buttons, toggles, or interactive views need .accessibilityLabel() and .accessibilityHint() or they're completely unusable to screen reader users.
Haptic overuse — Every action does NOT need haptic feedback. Reserve haptics for confirmations (purchase, critical action) and errors. Excessive haptics are annoying and drain battery.
Use when building features with TCA (The Composable Architecture), structuring reducers, managing state, handling effects, navigation, or testing TCA features. Covers @Reducer, Store, Effect, TestStore, reducer composition, and TCA patterns.
Use when implementing iOS 26 features (Liquid Glass, new SwiftUI APIs, WebView, Chart3D), deploying iOS 26+ apps, or supporting backward compatibility with iOS 17/18.
Use when implementing iOS 17+ SwiftUI patterns: @Observable/@Bindable, MVVM architecture, NavigationStack, lazy loading, UIKit interop, accessibility (VoiceOver/Dynamic Type), async operations (.task/.refreshable), or migrating from ObservableObject/@StateObject.
Use when writing async/await code, enabling strict concurrency, fixing Sendable errors, migrating from completion handlers, managing shared state with actors, or using Task/TaskGroup for concurrency.
Use when implementing on-device AI with Apple's Foundation Models framework (iOS 26+), building summarization/extraction/classification features, or using @Generable for type-safe structured output.
Use when writing raw SQL with GRDB, complex joins across 4+ tables, window functions, ValueObservation for reactive queries, or dropping down from SQLiteData for performance. Direct SQLite access for iOS/macOS with type-safe queries and migrations.