Ios Dev

iOS Development

Start here. This skill coordinates the Apple skills collection — it tells you which skill to use and when, so you get opinionated guidance and full API references together.

Operating Rules

• Do not bridge UIKit/AppKit when SwiftUI has a native solution — bridging adds state-sync bugs, breaks SwiftUI composition (animations, environment), and complicates lifecycle management
• Do not enforce specific architectures (MVVM, VIPER, MV, TCA, etc.) — encourage separating business logic from views without mandating how
• Liquid Glass is the default iOS 26+ design system — use system glass behaviors naturally, but add custom GlassEffect modifiers only when they serve the UI, not for decoration
• Present performance optimizations as suggestions backed by reasoning, not blanket requirements
• When you need exact API details, grep the framework reference skills — they contain full Apple documentation

Task Workflows

Review existing code

1. Read the code and identify which topics apply
2. Run the Correctness Checklist below — violations are bugs
3. Use the Topic Router to load the relevant guide for each topic
4. For API correctness, grep the matching framework reference skill

Improve existing code

1. Run the correctness checklist first
2. For performance issues: use guide-swiftui-performance-audit
3. For view structure / long bodies: use guide-swiftui-view-refactor
4. For navigation, state, or pattern questions: use guide-swiftui-ui-patterns
5. For visual quality: use ios-ui-craft
6. For API details: grep the matching framework reference skill

Build a new feature

1. Design data flow first — identify owned vs. injected state
2. For UI patterns and app wiring: use guide-swiftui-ui-patterns
3. For API details: grep the matching framework reference skill
4. Structure views for optimal diffing — extract subviews early
5. Run the correctness checklist before finishing
6. For visual polish: use ios-ui-craft

Topic Router

The Guide column has opinionated, short pattern guides. The API Reference column has full Apple documentation as grepable Markdown — use apple-docs-index to find which framework has what.

| Topic | Guide | API Reference | |-------|-------|---------------| | State management | guide-swiftui-ui-patterns | swiftui (state.md, binding.md, observation.md, environment.md) | | View composition | guide-swiftui-view-refactor | swiftui (view-protocol.md) | | Performance | guide-swiftui-performance-audit | — | | Navigation | guide-swiftui-ui-patterns | swiftui (navigationstack.md, navigationsplitview.md, navigationlink.md) | | Sheets & modals | guide-swiftui-ui-patterns | swiftui (sheet.md, inspector.md, alert.md, confirmationdialog.md) | | Lists & ForEach | guide-swiftui-ui-patterns | swiftui (list.md) | | ScrollView | guide-swiftui-ui-patterns | swiftui (scrollview.md) | | Forms & input | — | swiftui (form.md, textfield.md, picker.md, toggle.md, slider.md) | | Charts | guide-swiftui-charts | swiftui (chart.md, charts-overview.md) | | Animations | guide-swiftui-animations | swiftui (swiftui-overview.md) | | Layout | guide-swiftui-ui-patterns | swiftui (geometryreader.md, grid.md, hstack.md, vstack.md, zstack.md, spacer.md) | | TabView | guide-swiftui-ui-patterns | swiftui (tabview.md) | | Liquid Glass | ios-design-consultant | ios-liquid-glass | | Visual design | ios-ui-craft | hig | | Accessibility | guide-swiftui-ui-patterns | hig | | macOS apps | guide-macos-spm-packaging | swiftui, uikit | | Data persistence | guide-swiftdata | swiftdata | | Testing | guide-swift-testing | swift-testing, xcuitest | | Concurrency | guide-swift-concurrency | swift-concurrency | | In-app purchases | — | storekit | | Maps | — | mapkit | | Health data | — | healthkit | | Notifications | — | usernotifications | | App Intents / Siri | — | appintents | | Widgets | — | widgetkit | | App Store metadata | apple-aso | — | | Finding docs | apple-docs-index | — |

Correctness Checklist

These are hard rules — violations are always bugs:

• [ ] @State properties are private
• [ ] @Binding only where a child needs to mutate parent state
• [ ] Values passed in are never declared as @State — they silently ignore updates
• [ ] Use @State with @Observable classes — not @StateObject or ObservableObject
• [ ] Use @Bindable for injected observables that need bindings
• [ ] ForEach uses stable identity — never .indices on dynamic content
• [ ] Each ForEach element produces a constant number of views
• [ ] .animation(_:value:) always includes the value: parameter
• [ ] @FocusState properties are private
• [ ] @Observable classes are @MainActor — Swift 6 strict concurrency requires it
• [ ] Property wrappers (@AppStorage, @SceneStorage, @Query) inside @Observable classes are marked @ObservationIgnored — they conflict with the macro and cause compiler errors
• [ ] No business logic in body — use .task, .onChange, or methods
• [ ] No AnyView unless truly unavoidable — fix with better composition

Related Skills

Design trio:

• /ios-ui-craft — Build visually striking interfaces (produces code)
• /ios-design-consultant — Design advice and rationale (no code)
• /ios-liquid-glass — Liquid Glass API reference

Workflow guides:

• /guide-swiftui-ui-patterns — Navigation, state, sheets, component patterns
• /guide-swiftui-animations — Implicit/explicit animation, transitions, keyframes
• /guide-swiftui-charts — Marks, axes, selection, styling, accessibility
• /guide-swiftui-view-refactor — View structure, extraction, MV patterns
• /guide-swiftui-performance-audit — Diagnose and fix performance issues
• /guide-swift-testing — Swift Testing patterns, async tests, common agent mistakes
• /guide-swift-concurrency — Concurrency patterns, actors, diagnostics, bug patterns
• /guide-swiftdata — SwiftData patterns, predicates, CloudKit constraints
• /guide-macos-spm-packaging — Build macOS apps with SwiftPM

Utilities:

• /apple-docs-index — Find the right Apple documentation
• /simulator-utils — Simulator screenshots and device management
• /apple-aso — App Store Optimization

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: vabole
• Source: vabole/apple-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.