The entry wiki for the Chinese-English bilingual notes on the Apple Human Interface Guidelines (HIG). It explains the 4 categories of tags in Apple design (philosophy/concept/principle/strategy) + the three-dimensional methodology of atomic design, multi-platform, and hierarchy model + a quick reference for device characteristics and design tradeoffs across the 7 major platforms (iOS/iPadOS/macOS/watchOS/tvOS/visionOS/games) + a reverse lookup map for all 14 apple-hig-* wikis (which wiki to check when you want to look up X). Start here to locate information for any Apple design question.
A decision manual for "when to use which" covering all 63 UI components in Apple HIG, organized by 8 functional categories. Menus and Actions (Buttons/Menus/Context Menus/Toolbars/Pop-up Buttons/Pull-down Buttons/Activity Views/Ornaments) · Selection and Input (Text Fields/Pickers/Segmented Controls/Sliders/Steppers/Toggles/Color Wells/Image Wells/Combo Boxes/Virtual Keyboards) · Presentation (Alerts/Action Sheets/Sheets/Popovers/Panels/Windows/Scroll Views/Page Controls) · Layout and Organization (Lists and Tables/Collections/Outline Views/Split Views/Tab Views/Sidebars/Boxes/Labels/Column Views/Lockups/Disclosure Controls) · Navigation and Search (Tab Bars/Sidebars/Search Fields/Path Controls/Token Fields) · Content Containers (Charts/Images/Text/Web Views) · Status Indicators (Progress Views/Activity Rings/Gauges/Ratings) · System Experiences (Widgets/Live Activities/Notifications/Controls/Complications/Shortcuts/Menu Bars/Status Bars/Top Shelf/Watch Faces). Each component includes a definition + when to use it + key do/don't guidance + cross-platform support. Includes anatomy diagrams for Primary/Secondary buttons.
The most 'methodology-focused' layer of Apple's design system — it does not talk about which component to use, but about why. Design philosophy (why Human Interface is called Human · design serves people · 6 qualities of great design) + 12 core design principles (Wayfinding / Feedback / Visibility / Consistency / Mental Model / Proximity / Grouping / Mapping / Affordance / Progressive Disclosure / 80-20 / Symmetry) + 5 elements of Intentional Design (radical simplification / deep understanding / extreme focus / personal connection / direct communication) + Fluid Interfaces (dynamic motion vs timed animation · elastic physics · projected momentum · 6 sub-principles) + complete workflow from concept to interface (structure → navigation → content → visuals, with a vinyl record App hands-on example) + multisensory design (sound design · 3 haptic principles · transient/continuous · technical constraints) + multilingual, intelligence and ML experiences (data/metrics · system intelligence journey) + 60-minute rapid prototyping.
Design guidelines for 13 input methods in Apple HIG. Gestures (consistency of standard gestures · use custom gestures sparingly) / Keyboards (Full Keyboard Access · standard shortcuts · modifier key order) / Pointing devices (three iPadOS content effects: highlight/lift/hover · snapping · macOS pointer style catalog) / Apple Pencil & Scribble (tilt, pressure, azimuth · hover preview · double tap/squeeze/barrel roll · PencilKit) / Digital Crown (primary navigation on watchOS · immersion adjustment on visionOS) / Eyes (visionOS gaze + hover effect · privacy: gaze point not exposed) / Focus and selection (five tvOS focus states · iPadOS focus groups) / Game controls (touch virtual buttons · physical controller ABXY mapping · single-key keyboard controls) / Action button / Camera Control / Nearby Interaction / Gyroscope and accelerometer / Remotes. Each entry includes applicable platforms + best practices + anti-patterns.
Apple HIG 25 cross-component 'interaction flow' design patterns. Onboarding trio (Launching · Loading · Onboarding) / Data and input (Entering data · Drag and drop · Undo and redo · Searching · Charting) / Feedback and interruption (Feedback · Modality · Managing notifications) / Account settings (Managing accounts · Settings · Ratings and reviews) / Content and media (Audio · Video · Haptics · Full screen · Live-viewing) / System collaboration (Collaboration and sharing · File management · Multitasking · Printing · Workouts). Each pattern provides core principles + best practices + anti-patterns + platform differences. For component-level usage, see components; this section covers 'stringing components into flows'.
In-depth design special topic for iPad and Mac platforms (Will’s reorganized deep read of iOS/macOS). Essential differences between Mac and iPad (touch vs. keyboard & mouse · 77% font scaling · neutral colors · gesture mapping) + three major frameworks · information layout / iPadOS 26 new window system (drag handle · window controls inside toolbar · one window per document · descriptive naming) / pointer (1:1 tracking · liquid glass highlight disc) / 3 adaptive cursor effects (Highlight / Lift / Hover) + adaptive vs. traditional pointer (adaptive precision · magnetism · realignment) / material form design / navigation (sidebar ↔ tab bar adaptation · flat vs. hierarchical · Push vs. Modal · navigation design derived backward from core value) / UX copywriting (PACE framework · VOICE & TONE · 4-step tone modulation · 4 improvement tips: delete filler words / avoid repetition / start with why / build a glossary · Great Alerts · Tips · teach users to use the app) / chart system (Marks / Axes / Descriptions / Interaction / Color · static vs. interactive · macro-meso-micro three layers · differentiation across multiple charts · fixed vs. dynamic range) / subscription design (Effortless / Transparent / Engaging · 3 steps 61% vs. 9 steps 7%) / modal sheets / safe area / Live Activities · Shortcuts · App Clips · Intents · Interactive Snippets · custom visual effects (iOS 18 SwiftUI).
Four small platforms in one. watchOS (timely and relevant · brief and efficient · Digital Crown as core · 3 navigation patterns: NavigationSplitView/TabView/NavigationStack · Series 7 three principles · large titles · 4 levels of full-screen materials · Smart Stack layout · Complications/Live Activities · watch faces: Dial/Infograph/List · full keyboard · Always-On Display (AOD) · secondary function controls) / tvOS (10 principles · content first · focus system · 5–10 Top Shelf items · avoid overstimulation · metadata as secondary · pagination arrows) / CarPlay (next-generation design system · modular instrument cluster · deep brand customization · SF variable fonts · dynamic content area · view area and safe area · automatic appearance based on time and vehicle conditions) / Games (core loop: Action-Reward-Expansion · 10 key principles: Be a Good Teacher / Remove Friction / Tune the Core Loop / Design for Touch / Foster Engagement / Background Transfers / Optimize Graphics / Introductory Videos / Localization / Use Cutting-Edge Technology · Touch-See-Hear-Feel perception loop · virtual joystick game input · adaptive layout anchors · Apple Games app + Game Center achievements/leaderboards/challenges/activities · time-limited in-app events for re-engagement).
Integration design specifications for 29 Apple system technologies (each entry = what it is + when to use it + key design points + branding/icon/naming rules). Payments & Wallet: Apple Pay (vs In-App Purchase · button styles · checkout flow)/ In-app Purchase (consumable/non-consumable/subscription · offer codes · Family Sharing)/ Wallet (5 pass types · order tracking · identity verification)/ Tap to Pay (hardware-free payment acceptance)/ Apple Card. Health & Research: HealthKit (Activity Rings specifications)/ CareKit/ ResearchKit (informed consent). Home & Car: HomeKit (home/room/accessory/zone · Siri commands)/ CarPlay (template-driven). Communication: Messages for Business/ iMessage apps & stickers/ Sign in with Apple (private relay email)/ SharePlay (3 Spatial Personas templates)/ Siri (SiriKit intent domains). Media & Recognition: AirPlay/ Live Photos/ ShazamKit/ Photo Editing/ Maps (indoor maps). AI: Generative AI (responsible design · transparency · hallucination prevention)/ Machine Learning (critical vs assistive · calibration · confidence · attribution · limitations · error handling). Identity: ID Verifier/ NFC. Cloud & Gaming: iCloud (transparent sync)/ Game Center (achievements/leaderboards/challenges/activities)/ App Clips (App Clip Codes)/ Mac Catalyst/ Always On.
A decision handbook for the visual "atomic layer" of Apple design. Covers color (system semantic colors · wide color gamut · Liquid Glass palettes) / typography (SF · NY · Dynamic Type · minimum font sizes per platform) / layout (grouping · hierarchy · safe areas · progressive disclosure) / spatial layout (visionOS field of view · depth · scale) / materials (Liquid Glass vs standard materials · thin/thick selection) / motion (purposefulness · optionality · visionOS motion sickness prevention) / dark mode (not a simple inversion · 4.5:1/7:1 contrast ratios) / images (@1x/2x/3x · format selection) / app icons (layering · cross-platform shape · Icon Composer) / interface icons (optical centering · vector) / SF Symbols (4 rendering modes · 9 weights · variants · animation · customization) / branding (yielding to content). Each entry includes best practices, counterexamples, and platform differences.
Starting in iOS 26, Apple’s full new visual language Liquid Glass, plus deepened SF Symbols, typographic optical sizes, and color palette system. Liquid Glass: what it is (digital "meta-material", Lensing effect, gel-like flexibility) / material layers (specular highlights/shadows/internal glow feedback/focus changes) / two variants (Regular vs Clear plus three prerequisites for Clear) / adaptivity (small controls switch between light and dark, large panels only gray at edges, soft/hard scroll edges) / structure (depicting relationships, reflecting navigation focus, elevating controls, extending to edges) / geometric concentricity (three shapes: fixed/capsule/concentric) / legibility, Tinting, accessibility / Icon Composer icon workflow (single artwork → all platforms, six appearance modes, layered export). SF Symbols: 4 rendering modes (monochrome/hierarchical/palette/multicolor), variable color, 9 weights and 3 scales, variants, drawing animations (Draw On/Off, Magic Replace, Wiggle/Rotate/Breathe/Pulse/Bounce/Scale), interpolation principles, custom symbols. Typography: SF/NY/Compact/Mono, optical sizes SF Text/Display, variable fonts, 11 Dynamic Type text styles, tracking and leading, font selection (structure/contrast/display vs text fonts). Color palette: dual tint modes, grayscale fill/separator/system gray, semantic colors.
The source of the modern Apple HIG and even the entire field of graphical interface design — two historic classic PDFs. The 1987 *Apple Human Interface Guidelines: The Apple Desktop Interface* (164 pages, the first official HIG) put forward 10 human interface principles; the 1992 *Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines* (418 pages, complete 11-chapter edition) expanded them to 12. The 12 principles: Metaphors / Direct Manipulation / See-and-Point (noun-then-verb) / Consistency / WYSIWYG / User Control / Feedback and Dialog / Forgiveness / Perceived Stability / Aesthetic Integrity / Modelessness / Knowledge of Your Audience. Plus principles of graphic communication (visual consistency / simplicity / clarity). Bilingual. These principles established in 1987 remain the root of [[apple-hig-design-principles]] today.
