Source: Apple Inc. Canonical content at https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/complications. 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.
Complications
Best practices
Identify essential, dynamic content that people want to view at a glance.
Support all complication families when possible.
Consider creating multiple complications for each family.
Define a different deep link for each complication you support.
Keep privacy in mind.
Carefully consider when to update data.
Visual design
Choose a ring or gauge style based on the data you need to display.
The closed style can convey a value that’s a percentage of a whole, such as for a battery gauge.
The open style works well when the minimum and maximum values are arbitrary — or don’t represent a percentage of the whole — like for a speed indicator.
Similar to the open style, the segmented style also displays values within an app-defined range, and can convey rapid value changes, such as in the Noise complication.
Make sure images look good in tinted mode.
Avoid using color as the only way to communicate important information. You want people to get the same information in tinted mode as they do in nontinted mode.
When necessary, provide an alternative tinted-mode version of a full-color image. If your full-color image doesn’t look good when it’s desaturated, you can supply a different version of the image for the system to use in tinted mode.
Recognize that people might prefer to use tinted mode for complications, instead of viewing them in full color.
When creating complication content, generally use line widths of two points or greater.
Provide a set of static placeholder images for each complication you support.
Circular
Style: Rounded
Weight: Medium
Text size: 12 pt (40mm), 12.5 pt (41mm), 13 pt (44mm), 14.5 pt (45mm/49mm)
Style: Rounded
Weight: Medium
Text size: 34.5 pt (40mm), 36.5 pt (41mm), 36.5 pt (44mm), 41 pt (45mm/49mm)
Corner
Style: Rounded
Weight: Semibold
Text size: 10 pt (40mm), 10.5 pt (41mm), 11 pt (44mm), 12 pt (45mm/49mm)
Rectangular
By supplying background color or content that communicates information or aids in recognition
By using intents to specify relevancy, and help ensure that your widget is displayed in the Smart Stack at times that are most appropriate and useful to people
By creating a custom layout of your information that is optimized for the Smart Stack
Style: Rounded
Weight: Medium
Text size: 16.5 pt (40mm), 17.5 pt (41mm), 18 pt (44mm), 19.5 pt (45mm/49mm)
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For the complete guidance, including worked examples and illustrations, see the canonical page: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/complications