iOS components — the rules that make controls feel native (iOS 26)

iOS components — the rules that make controls feel native (iOS 26)

Source: Apple HIG component pages (read June 2026). iOS 26 floats chrome on Liquid Glass — read ios-liquid-glass-swiftui for the material behavior; this is the per-component rulebook.

Bars

Tab bar — top-level navigation, not actions. Floats on glass at the bottom; content peeks through. 2–5 destinations (more → a "More" tab; avoid). Don't hide/disable tab items when their content is empty — explain the empty state instead. Single-word labels; prefer filled SF Symbols. iOS 26: optional dedicated search tab at the trailing end; optional minimize-on-scroll. Badges (red oval) only for critical info.

Navigation bar = a navigation-specific toolbar at the top. Large title by default, collapses to inline on scroll (keep this). Use the standard Back/Close symbols — don't label them "Back"/"Close". Use inline title on dense utility screens.

Toolbar — horizontal control groups along top/bottom. iOS 26: "Reduce the use of toolbar backgrounds and tinted controls"; let the content layer inform the toolbar's color; use a scroll edge effect to separate it. Standard components get corner radii concentric with the bar — keep custom ones concentric too. Prefer borderless system symbols. .prominent style for the one primary action (Done/Submit), on the trailing side. Aim for ≤3 logical groups; titles <15 chars; never title with the app name. iOS: keep only the most important items in the bar, push the rest to a More menu.

Search — give it a primary position if important (Notes = bottom toolbar; Photos = a Search tab). Make content searchable from a single location; show scope via placeholder/scope bar/title; provide recent + predictive suggestions; let people clear history. .searchable(text:) + .searchToolbarBehavior(.minimize).

Buttons & actions

• Hit region ≥ 44×44 pt (visionOS 60). Always include a press state for custom buttons.
• Use style, not size, to mark the preferred action. One or two prominent buttons per view max.
• Roles: Normal, Primary (accent, responds to Return), Cancel, Destructive (system red). Never assign the primary role to a destructive action — people tap primary without reading.
• Verb-first title-case labels; familiar SF Symbols for familiar actions (square.and.arrow.up = share). iOS: show an activity indicator for non-instant actions ("Checkout" → "Checking out…").
• Menus: title-case, drop articles, "…" when more input needed, dim unavailable items. iOS layouts: Small (4 symbol-only), Medium (3 symbol+label), Large (default list). Pull-down = actions / multi-select / submenu (≥3 items feels worthwhile); Pop-up = mutually-exclusive options, button shows current selection.

Selection & input

• Toggle/switch: "Use the switch toggle style only in a list row." Outside a list, use a toggle-styled button, not a switch. Don't rely on color alone for state.
• Picker: medium-long value lists; show in context (bottom/popover), "avoid switching views to show a picker." Date picker styles: compact / inline / wheels / automatic.
• Segmented control: ≤ ~5 segments on iPhone; single choice among closely-related subviews; text or images, not both. For separate app sections use a tab bar instead.
• Slider: min leading / max trailing; don't use a slider for audio volume. Pair with a field+stepper for exact values.
• Stepper: doesn't show its own value — sits next to a field that does; pair with a text field for large changes.
• Text field: show a placeholder hint and a persistent label; secure field for sensitive data; correct keyboard type; trailing Clear button; validate at the right moment (email on field-switch). Never prepopulate a password field.

Content

• Lists & tables: prefer text in lists; for varied/image-heavy items use a collection. iOS inset-grouped style for settings/forms (headers/footers/space separate groups). Disclosure indicator = drill into a subview; info/detail button = reveal more about a row (not navigation).
• Collections: image-based content; standard row/grid layouts; use a table for text.
• Scroll views: iOS 26 scroll edge effect separates floating chrome from content — "only use it when a scroll view is behind floating interface elements… not decorative," one per view, prefer the automatic style. Don't nest same-axis scroll views.
• Charts: see data-visualization; make every chart accessible (VoiceOver + Audio Graphs via Swift Charts), don't rely on color alone, add a descriptive takeaway.

Presentation (pick the right one)

• Sheet — a scoped task related to the current context. Detents: system .large + .medium; "consider supporting the medium detent to allow progressive disclosure" on iPhone. Include a grabber on resizable sheets. Cancel = leading, Done = trailing; support swipe-to-dismiss (confirm if unsaved changes). One sheet at a time. Complex/long flow → full-screen modal instead.
• Popover — transient, arrow points at the triggering control; avoid in compact (iPhone) width — use a sheet; never use a popover for a warning (use an alert).
• Alert — critical, time-sensitive, ideally actionable; ≤3 buttons. Use sparingly; "avoid using an alert merely to provide information"; don't alert on common undoable destructive actions; never alert at launch. Default/most-likely button trailing/top, Cancel leading/bottom; destructive style only when the user didn't deliberately choose it; always include Cancel with a destructive action; never make Cancel default.
• Action sheet (confirmationDialog) — choices tied to an intentional action. Cancel at the bottom; destructive choices prominent at the top. Use this — not an alert — for choices on a user-initiated action.
• Modality — present modally only with a clear benefit; keep modal tasks short; always give an obvious dismissal; confirm before closing if content would be lost; one modal at a time (an alert may appear above another modal).