ipad-patterns

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 display
• input-methods.md -- Keyboard shortcuts, pointer interactions, Apple Pencil, focus system
• drag-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 -- NavigationSplitView column 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 .keyboard as appropriate

References

• Preparing your iPadOS app for multitasking
• Adding drag and drop to a SwiftUI view
• Transferable
• Adding keyboard shortcuts
• Pointer interactions
• PencilKit
• UIScene