ipados-design-guidelines

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

iPad safe areas differ from iPhone. Older iPads have no home indicator. iPads in landscape have different insets than portrait. Always use safeAreaInset and never hardcode padding for notches or indicators.