/ipad-patterns

name: ipad-patterns
description: iPadOS-specific patterns including Stage Manager, multi-window, drag and drop, keyboard shortcuts, pointer interactions, and Apple Pencil support. Use when building iPad-optimized features.
allowed-tools: [Read, Glob, Grep]
last_verified: 2026-07-16
review_by: 2027-06-22
os_version: iOS 27 / macOS 27

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:

• `