iPadOS Design Guidelines

Comprehensive rules for building iPad-native apps following Apple's Human Interface Guidelines. iPad is not a big iPhone -- it demands adaptive layouts, multitasking support, pointer interactions, keyboard shortcuts, and inter-app drag and drop. These rules extend iOS patterns for the larger, more capable canvas.

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1. Responsive Layout (CRITICAL)

1.1 Use Adaptive Size Classes

iPad presents two horizontal size classes: regular (full screen, large splits) and compact (Slide Over, narrow splits). Design for both. Never hardcode dimensions.

struct AdaptiveView: View {
    @Environment(\.horizontalSizeClass) var sizeClass

    var body: some View {
        if sizeClass == .regular {
            TwoColumnLayout()
        } else {
            StackedLayout()
        }
    }
}

1.2 Don't Scale Up iPhone UI

iPad layouts must be purpose-built. Stretching an iPhone layout across a 13" display wastes space and feels wrong. Use multi-column layouts, master-detail patterns, and increased information density in regular width.

1.3 Support All iPad Screen Sizes

Design for the full range: iPad Mini (8.3"), iPad (11"), iPad Air (11"/13"), and iPad Pro (11"/13"). Use flexible layouts that redistribute content rather than simply scaling.

1.4 Column-Based Layouts for Regular Width

In regular width, organize content into columns. Two-column is the most common (sidebar + detail). Three-column works for deep hierarchies (sidebar + list + detail). Avoid single-column full-width layouts on large screens.

struct ThreeColumnLayout: View {
    var body: some View {
        NavigationSplitView {
            SidebarView()
        } content: {
            ContentListView()
        } detail: {
            DetailView()
        }
    }
}

1.5 Respect Safe Areas