Apple-skills ios-dev

Start here for any iOS or SwiftUI task. Coordinates best-practice guides, correctness checks, and full Apple API references. Use before navigating to other Apple skills — for building, reviewing, refactoring, or debugging iOS apps.

install

source · Clone the upstream repo

git clone https://github.com/vabole/apple-skills

Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/

T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/vabole/apple-skills "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/ios-dev" ~/.claude/skills/vabole-apple-skills-ios-dev && rm -rf "$T"

manifest: skills/ios-dev/SKILL.md

source content

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

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

Improve existing code

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

Build a new feature

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

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