ios-sf-symbols-and-icons

name	ios-sf-symbols-and-icons
description	SF Symbols usage (weights, scales, the four rendering modes, fill-vs-outline variants, animations, SF Symbols 7 gradients/Draw, accessibility labels, version-gating) and iOS 26 app icons (layered design, Icon Composer, square-unmasked layers, the six appearances, specs) per Apple HIG. Use when picking icons, choosing rendering modes, or producing an app icon for a native iOS app.
tags	["ios","sf-symbols","icons","app-icon","icon-composer","hig","apple"]

SF Symbols & app icons — iOS 26

Source: Apple HIG SF Symbols + App icons pages (read June 2026; App-icons change log June 8 2026).

1. SF Symbols — the system icon library

Thousands of symbols that align automatically with San Francisco text at every weight/size. Availability is version-gated — a symbol added in a given year isn't on earlier OSes; check before using newer symbols.

• Don't use SF Symbols (or look-alikes) in app icons, logos, or trademarked use.

Weights (9): Ultralight → Black, each matching an SF font weight — match a symbol's weight to adjacent text. (Per typography rules, avoid the thin end.)

Scales (3), relative to cap height: Small, Medium (default), Large — SwiftUI .imageScale(.small/.medium/.large).

Rendering modes (4):

• Monochrome — one color to all layers.
• Hierarchical — one color, varying opacity per layer (depth).
• Palette — two+ explicit colors, one per layer.
• Multicolor — intrinsic meaningful colors (leaf green, trash.slash red).
• .automatic picks the symbol's preferred mode — but verify legibility. Prefer system colors so symbols keep adapting to dark mode / vibrancy / accessibility.

Variants: outline (most common); fill = more emphasis — iOS tab bars + swipe actions prefer fill, toolbars take outline; slash; enclosed (circle/square — better at small sizes). Script-specific variants adapt to device language automatically.

SF Symbols 7 (iOS-26 era): gradients (smooth linear gradient from one source color, all modes, best at larger sizes) and Draw On/Off animation. Variable color maps layer coloring to a 0–100% value (capacity/strength/progress) — use for change, not depth (use Hierarchical for depth).

Animations (all symbols/modes/weights): Appear, Disappear, Bounce, Scale, Pulse, Variable Color, Replace, Magic Replace (new default), Wiggle, Breathe, Rotate, Draw On/Off. Apply judiciously — too many overwhelm.

Accessibility: always provide an alternative text label (accessibility description) for VoiceOver. Custom symbols must stay consistent with system symbols (detail, optical weight, alignment) and be Simple/Recognizable/Inclusive.

2. App icons — iOS 26 layered + Liquid Glass

iOS/iPadOS/macOS/watchOS icons are now layered (a background layer + one or more foreground layers); the system applies Liquid Glass attributes (specular highlights, refraction, translucency) that adapt with size and across OS versions.

• Build with Icon Composer (in Xcode 26 / Apple Developer site): define background, place foreground layers, apply glass, annotate default / dark / mono variants, preview, export.
• Provide square, UNMASKED layers — the system masks. iOS/iPadOS/macOS → square layer, system applies the rounded-rectangle "concentric" mask matching the device bezel. Don't pre-mask or pre-round — it breaks specular highlights and looks jagged.

Specs: iOS/iPadOS/macOS layout = 1024×1024 px, square, layered, masked to a rounded rectangle.

Six appearances (iOS/iPadOS/macOS): default, dark, clear (light + dark), tinted (light + dark). The system auto-generates any you don't provide; keep core visual features consistent across all. Base dark on the light icon with complementary colors; colored backgrounds give best dark-icon contrast. Alternate icons each need their own variants and pass App Review.

Design rules: embrace simplicity / minimal shapes; consider filled, overlapping shapes with transparency for depth; prefer vector (SVG/PDF) layers, PNG for mesh gradients; let the system add highlights/shadows/blurs/glows — don't bake them in; full-bleed opaque background; include text only when essential (no localization/accessibility, often redundant); prefer illustration over photos; don't replicate Apple hardware or standard UI components.

3. Greg application

• Tab bar uses filled SF Symbols; toolbar uses outline. Match symbol weight to nearby label weight.
• Use monochrome + tangerine tint for primary-action symbols; reserve multicolor/variable color for nutrition/progress meaning (e.g., variable color on a "remaining calories" ring symbol communicates fill state).
• Every icon-only control needs an accessibility label.
• For the app icon: design a simple layered mark (square, unmasked), let Icon Composer apply glass + generate dark/tinted variants — don't ship a pre-rounded flat PNG.

Pairs with: ios-color-and-materials (rendering color), ios-typography (weight matching), ios-components (where fill vs outline applies).