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