iPad Patterns
Comprehensive guide for iPadOS-specific development patterns. Covers multitasking (Stage Manager, Split View, Slide Over), multi-window support, drag and drop, keyboard shortcuts, pointer interactions, Apple Pencil, and external display support. These patterns differentiate an iPad-optimized app from a scaled-up iPhone app.
When This Skill Activates
- User is building or reviewing iPad-specific features
- User asks about Stage Manager, multi-window, or UIScene lifecycle
- User needs drag and drop (NSItemProvider, Transferable, UIDragInteraction)
- User wants keyboard shortcuts or discoverability overlay
- User asks about pointer/trackpad interactions or hover effects
- User is implementing Apple Pencil or PencilKit support
- User needs adaptive layouts for Split View, Slide Over, or size classes
- User asks about external display support
- User wants to make an iPhone app work well on iPad
Decision Tree
What iPad feature are you building?
|
+-- Multi-window / Stage Manager / UIScene lifecycle
| +-- multitasking.md
| +-- Scene configuration, requestSceneSessionActivation
| +-- Window management, scene delegates
|
+-- Split View / Slide Over / Adaptive Layout
| +-- multitasking.md
| +-- Size classes, compact/regular transitions
| +-- NavigationSplitView column widths
|
+-- Drag and Drop
| +-- drag-drop.md
| +-- SwiftUI: .draggable() / .dropDestination()
| +-- UIKit: UIDragInteraction / UIDropInteraction
| +-- Transferable protocol, NSItemProvider
|
+-- Keyboard Shortcuts
| +-- input-methods.md
| +-- SwiftUI: .keyboardShortcut()
| +-- UIKit: UIKeyCommand
| +-- Discoverability overlay (Cmd hold)
|
+-- Pointer / Trackpad Interactions
| +-- input-methods.md
| +-- .hoverEffect(), UIPointerInteraction
| +-- Custom pointer shapes, lift/highlight effects
|
+-- Apple Pencil / PencilKit
| +-- input-methods.md
| +-- PKCanvasView, PKDrawing
| +-- Touch type filtering, Scribble
|
+-- External Display
+-- multitasking.md
+-- WindowGroup for external scenes
+-- UIScreen notifications (legacy)API Availability
| API | Minimum Version | Reference |
|---|---|---|
UIScene / UISceneDelegate |
iPadOS 13 | multitasking.md |
UISceneConfiguration |
iPadOS 13 | multitasking.md |
UIUserInterfaceSizeClass |
iPadOS 8 | multitasking.md |
NavigationSplitView |
iPadOS 16 | multitasking.md |
.horizontalSizeClass / .verticalSizeClass |
iPadOS 14 (SwiftUI) | multitasking.md |
.hoverEffect() |
iPadOS 13 | input-methods.md |
.keyboardShortcut() |
iPadOS 14 | input-methods.md |
PencilKit (PKCanvasView) |
iPadOS 13 | input-methods.md |
.draggable() / .dropDestination() |
iPadOS 16 | drag-drop.md |
Transferable protocol |
iPadOS 16 | drag-drop.md |
UIDragInteraction / UIDropInteraction |
iPadOS 11 | drag-drop.md |
NSItemProvider |
iPadOS 11 | drag-drop.md |
WindowGroup (multi-window) |
iPadOS 16 (SwiftUI lifecycle) | multitasking.md |
.handlesExternalEvents |
iPadOS 14 | multitasking.md |
UISceneSession.requestSceneSessionActivation |
iPadOS 13 | multitasking.md |
.focusable() / @FocusState |
iPadOS 15 | input-methods.md |
FocusedValue / FocusedObject |
iPadOS 16 | input-methods.md |
Top 5 Mistakes
| # | Mistake | Fix | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ignoring size classes, building fixed layouts | Use @Environment(\.horizontalSizeClass) to adapt between compact and regular |
multitasking.md |
| 2 | No keyboard shortcuts for common actions | Add .keyboardShortcut() to primary actions (Cmd+N, Cmd+S, Delete) |
input-methods.md |
| 3 | Missing drag and drop on list/grid items | Add .draggable() and .dropDestination() for content types users expect to move |
drag-drop.md |
| 4 | No hover effects on interactive elements | Add .hoverEffect() to buttons, list rows, and custom controls |
input-methods.md |
| 5 | Not supporting multiple windows (single-scene only) | Add WindowGroup support and handle NSUserActivity for state restoration |
multitasking.md |
iPad Design Rules (WWDC25)
| Area | Rule |
|---|---|
| Adaptive navigation | The tab bar can morph into a sidebar -- use a sidebar for deep or nested content hierarchies, a tab bar when the app is compact and content-forward |
| Immersion | Run content under the toolbar/sidebar with a scroll edge effect so a floating window still feels edge-to-edge |
| Window controls | Wrap the toolbar around the window controls on the leading edge instead of reserving a safe-area strip above the content |
| Documents | Each document opens in ITS OWN window, never "in place" -- and every window gets a unique, descriptive name so the app menu's window list stays navigable |
| Pointer | Test with the pointer -- it is 1:1 precise with no magnetizing or rubber-banding to targets, so dense hit areas that survive touch forgiveness can still fail |
| Menu bar | Order menu items by frequency of use (not alphabetically); push secondary actions into submenus; populate the View menu with tabs, their keyboard shortcuts, and sidebar toggles |
Process
1. Identify iPad Features Needed
Read the user's code or requirements to determine:
- Is this a new iPad app or adapting an iPhone app?
- Which iPad-specific features are relevant (multitasking, drag/drop, keyboard, pencil)?
- Target iPadOS version and hardware (Stage Manager requires M1+)
- Whether the app uses SwiftUI lifecycle or UIKit AppDelegate
2. Load Relevant Reference Files
Based on the need, read from this directory:
multitasking.md-- Stage Manager, multi-window, Split View, Slide Over, size classes, external displayinput-methods.md-- Keyboard shortcuts, pointer interactions, Apple Pencil, focus systemdrag-drop.md-- Drag and drop, Transferable protocol, NSItemProvider
3. Review or Recommend
Apply patterns from the reference files. Check for common issues using the review checklist below.
4. Cross-Reference
- For navigation architecture on iPad, see
ios/navigation-patterns/navigation-split-view.md - For macOS Catalyst concerns, see
macos/coding-best-practices/ - For toolbar patterns, see
swiftui/toolbars/SKILL.md - For animation and transitions, see
design/animation-patterns/
Review Checklist
When reviewing code for iPad optimization, verify:
- Size class adaptation -- UI adapts to compact/regular width (Split View, Slide Over)
- Keyboard shortcuts -- primary actions have
.keyboardShortcut()modifiers - Discoverability -- shortcuts appear when user holds Command key
- Pointer effects -- interactive elements have
.hoverEffect() - Drag and drop -- list/grid items support
.draggable()and.dropDestination() - Multi-window -- app supports multiple windows if content model allows it
- Scene restoration -- state is preserved when scene disconnects/reconnects
- Pencil support -- drawing views filter touch types, PencilKit configured correctly
- Column layout --
NavigationSplitViewcolumn widths appropriate for iPad - No hardcoded widths -- layouts use
.frame(minWidth:idealWidth:maxWidth:)or geometry-based sizing - Context menus -- long-press context menus on relevant items (also improve right-click with pointer)
- Toolbar placement -- actions placed in
.primaryAction,.secondaryAction, or.keyboardas appropriate