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Design Challenges with persistent toast message
I have an ongoing activity in progress. Think of: a delivery in progress house internet reboot in progress some water / electricity / internet / tv outage. (food) order processing I want to show a persistent toast message above the tab bar, across all tabs and screens across the app. It could take 15 minutes until the activity is finished. Obviously there's a challenge of: accessibility content overlaying with each other extra engineering effort. What we've thought of doing is: Option1: show a toast message, but when a modal is presented then it presents on top of the toast message. The toast message no longer updates itself. Once the modal is finished, then the toast message re-appears and continues to update. Option2: keep the toast message across all tabs and modals and work through the challenges mentioned Question: What are some other design approaches that could be taken to persist an ongoing activity (much like 'Live Activity', but just across the app when it's in foreground) or what are some design reasons that the two options considered are bad?
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165
May ’25
Helvetica issues
Helvetica (17.0d1e1) has bugs, hopefully the developers and designers will fix it. Link to the presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16qfpo9Y7Psghv5c_Xl3JBiTPkP4QNaaS/view?usp=sharing
Topic: Design SubTopic: General Tags:
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364
Jan ’25
Need Help with Guideline 4.2 - Minimum Functionality
I recently got feedback for my app under Guideline 4.2 - Design - Minimum Functionality, and I’m a bit confused. Apple mentioned that the app isn’t “app-like” enough and doesn’t provide sufficient entertainment value or utility. However, I genuinely think my app is unique compared to others on the market. Most similar apps only offer basic features like scorekeeping and saving the game. My app goes beyond that by tracking detailed statistics based on the types of scores achieved during the game. At the end, there’s even a Player Ratings section, which enhances competition and makes the experience more fun for players. Additionally, in today’s gaming scene, many groups play the traditional 101 game with a reward and penalty system. My app uniquely incorporates a reward system, something no other app in the market currently offers. I believe my app has the potential to stand out and meet the needs of a wide audience. Has anyone faced similar feedback? Or does anyone have suggestions on how I could better address this issue? Thanks in advance! 😊
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521
Dec ’24
App Icon issue in Wallet app
Hi, Upon reviewing our app, we got feedback that our app icon within the Wallet app is not behaving as expected when the home screen is set to "light mode" only. In that case, on the home screen, the app icon remains its default color (e.g., red), regardless of the device's appearance settings (light or dark), which is expected. However, in the apple Wallet, e.g., under the From Apps from your device, app icons change their color (e.g., red in light mode, black in dark mode) when iOS appearance is changed - which is reported as an app issue. I've noticed that all apps in that section are changing the color, not just ours, so it seems to me like a bug in iOS or a behavior that was not clearly defined in the app store guidelines. If there is an API we must use to cover that case, which one would that be? Is this a bug that Apple should resolve, or is this the intended behaviour?
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372
Aug ’25
How do I use the Figma macOS Sequoia UI Kit?
Question: Guide for Using Apple's macOS Sequoia UI Kit in Figma? I recently discovered that Apple has published a "macOS Sequoia UI Kit" on their Figma profile: https://www.figma.com/@apple As someone new to both UI kits in Figma and Mac app development, I'm looking for guidance on how to use this UI kit when designing a Mac app. Does anyone know if such a resource exists? I haven't been able to find one so far. Background I started developing a new macOS app about a month ago and have a basic working version with early functionality. I've realized I need to take a step back and create visual prototypes to inform where to invest future development time. The Sequoia UI Kit seems like it could be helpful, but I'm unsure how to use it. iOS but not macOS There are several tools available for designing iOS apps: https://createwithplay.com/ https://www.judo.app/ https://detailspro.app/ However, I'm not aware of similar tools specifically for macOS application design. Direction Apple publishes design UI kits for both Figma and Sketch. I want to avoid paying for Sketch (this is a hobby project), so I'm focusing on the Figma option. Ideally, I'd love to see the iOS-focused tools mentioned above support macOS design fully. Until then (if ever), I'm hoping to make the most of the Sequoia UI Kit in Figma. Any guidance or resources would be greatly appreciated!
Topic: Design SubTopic: General Tags:
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875
Oct ’24
NWListener, NWConnection, not accepting connections
I'm using NWListener with NWConnection. This code work great and I am able to start the listener and successfully receive connections in Xcode preview. However, when I build/run on my phone, the listener does not seem to accept connections from the network. If the app sends a message to itself on the phone, it is received, but if I send a message to that ip/port from another network device, it is not accepted/received. Any help or suggestions appreciated. import Foundation import Network import Combine @Observable class UDPListener3 { var listener: NWListener? var queue = DispatchQueue.global(qos: .userInitiated) var messageReceived: Data? private(set) var isReady: Bool private(set) var listening: Bool = false private(set) var receiving: Bool = false private(set) var port: UInt16 = 0 init () { isReady = false listening = false receiving = false messageReceived = nil listener = nil } func GetPort() { var portText = "\(String(describing: listener!.port))" portText = portText.replacingOccurrences(of: "Optional(", with: "") portText = portText.replacingOccurrences(of: ")", with: "") portText = portText.replacingOccurrences(of: ",", with: "") port = UInt16(portText)! if let testPort = listener?.port?.rawValue { self.port = testPort } } func config(port: Int) { if port > 0 { configinit(port: NWEndpoint.Port(integerLiteral: NWEndpoint.Port.IntegerLiteralType(port))) } else { configinit(port: nil) } } func configinit(port: NWEndpoint.Port?) { // conifigure and create listener let params = NWParameters.tcp params.allowFastOpen = true if port == nil { self.listener = try? NWListener(using: params, on: .any)//port) } else { self.listener = try? NWListener(using: params, on: port!) } if listener != nil { GetPort() self.listening = true self.listener?.stateUpdateHandler = { [self] update in switch update { case .ready: self.isReady = true print("*Listener.ready on port \(String(describing: self.listener?.port))") GetPort() case .failed: // Announce we are no longer able to listen self.listening = false self.isReady = false print("*Listener.failed on port \(port)") case .cancelled: // Announce we are no longer able to listen self.listening = false self.isReady = false print("*Listener.canceled on port \(port)") default: print("*Listener default connecting to port \(port)... \(self.listener!.state)") } print() } self.listener?.newConnectionHandler = { connection in print("@called listener.newConnectionHandler") self.createConnection(connection: connection) } // start listening self.listener?.start(queue: self.queue) GetPort() } else { print("unable to start listener") } } func createConnection(connection: NWConnection) { connection.stateUpdateHandler = { (newState) in switch (newState) { case .ready: print(" ...Connection.ready")// - \(connection)") self.receive(connection) case .cancelled: print(" ...Connection.cancelled")// - \(connection)") case .failed: print(" ...Connection.failed")// - \(connection)") default: print(" ...Connection.default: \(connection.state)")// - \(connection)") } } print(" ...connection starting") connection.start(queue: .global()) } func receive(_ connection: NWConnection) { print() print(" ...connection receiving") // respond 200 received self.respond(on: connection) //connection.receiveMessage() { [self] data, context, isComplete, error in //<-- this would not return until timeout expired?? connection.receive(minimumIncompleteLength: 20000, maximumLength: 200000) { [self] data, context, isComplete, error in receiving = true /* Check what we have */ var message = "" if data != nil { message = String(decoding: data!, as: UTF8.self) } else { message = "" } // ERROR if let unwrappedError = error { print(" >>ERROR: received in \(#function) - \(unwrappedError)") receiving = false return } // NO DATA guard let data = data else { print(" >>NO DATA with context - \(String(describing: context))") receiving = false return } // NOT COMPLETE if !isComplete { print(" >>NOT COMPLETE with context - \(String(describing: context))") //return } // RECEIVED A MESSAGE if message != "" { self.messageReceived = data print(" ...received data - \(String(describing: context)) \(String(describing: data))") receiving = false connection.cancel() return } // keep receiving, self.receive(connection) } } } func respond(on connection: NWConnection) { let response = """ HTTP/1.1 200 OK Content-Length: 2 OK """ connection.send( content: response.data(using: .utf8), completion: .idempotent ) } func cancel() { self.listener?.cancel() self.listener = nil self.listening = false self.isReady = false print("listener disabled") } }
Topic: Design SubTopic: General
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420
Nov ’24
SF Symbols Variable Draw without the background.
Is it possible to use the new variable draw feature for a custom SF Symbol without it leaving the background behind it when it is not drawn? I am trying to make a tally icon that is drawn with the variable draw, but it doesn't look good if the tally is visible in the background before it is drawn.
Topic: Design SubTopic: General Tags:
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62
Jun ’25
Suggestion: Add App Notification Filter Slider to Notification Center
Add slim horizontal bar at the top of the Notification Center that displays the apps with current notifications, along with a badge showing the number of notifications for each app. Each app icon is clickable, allowing users to filter the Notification Center and view only the notifications from the selected app. The first button in the slider should be “All” to show all notifications, followed by app icons (Excluding notifications summary) This bar Appears only when notifications are from more than one app. Hidden if there’s only one app in Notification Center (no need to filter). Benefits: Better organization: Helps users quickly identify which apps have unread notifications. Reduced distraction: Allows focusing on notifications from one app at a time. Easier navigation: Especially helpful when notifications from multiple apps are mixed together by time. Faster interaction: Saves time by letting users jump directly to the relevant group of grouped or multiple notifications.
Topic: Design SubTopic: General
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47
Jun ’25
SwiftData and #DEBUG with the canvas...
Hi all, Very new to this. Just getting into swift data, and am frustrated with the canvas not working with modelContainers in SwiftData. My understanding is that they work if inMemory = true, but not in the default case where data is persistent after an app is quit. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to conditionally create the modelContainer type based on a flag... If Bool:Canvas then inMemory = True, Else False... Then using this flag for all data models so my list views populate on the canvas, without having to run the simulator each time... I would assume you could also pre-populate the inMemory option if it is empty also... Or is there a simple and obvious solution that I am oblivious to. If it is possible, is it worth the time, hassle, and any possible issues?
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519
Dec ’24
Guideline 4.3(a) - Design - Spam
Hello, I recently submitted my app to the Apple Store and received a rejection under Guideline 4.3(a) - Design - Spam, stating that my app is similar to others on the store. However, my app has a unique feature set, offers more functionality and content than competitors, and is completely free with ad monetization, unlike most similar apps that require subscriptions. I have spent five months developing this app from scratch, ensuring it provides an original and valuable experience for users. I did not use an app template or repackaged code, and my app is not a reskinned version of any existing app. I genuinely believe it brings meaningful differentiation to the market. I would appreciate any guidance on how I can better communicate my app’s uniqueness to the review team or what specific aspects I should adjust to comply with Apple's guidelines. Thank you for your time and support.
Topic: Design SubTopic: General Tags:
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651
Feb ’25
I get these errors every time: 'App' is ambiguous for type lookup in this context
import SwiftUI import RealmSwift @main struct UniqueHolidayApp: App { init() { migrateRealmIfNeeded() } var body: some Scene { WindowGroup { ContentView() } } private func migrateRealmIfNeeded() { let config = Realm.Configuration( schemaVersion: 1, migrationBlock: { migration, oldSchemaVersion in if oldSchemaVersion < 1 { // Realm will handle changes automatically for simple additions/removals } } ) Realm.Configuration.defaultConfiguration = config } }
Topic: Design SubTopic: General
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389
Nov ’24
Liquid Glass icons appear differently in Dock
I just played around on macOS with the new icons created by Icon Composer, and I noticed that the Dock displays programmatically set icons differently. Try this: Make sure you have the Mail app in your Dock. Set the icon appearance to "Tinted/Light" and set a dark (black) background for the Desktop. Run this code: let image = NSWorkspace.shared.icon(forFile: "/System/Applications/Mail.app") if image.isValid { NSApp.applicationIconImage = image } You'll get something like this: When the icon appearance is set to "Default" or "Dark," everything works as expected, and the "Clear/Dark" and "Tinted/Dark" modes seem to work as well. It seems like the Dock uses a special blend mode depending on the selected background, but this does not seem to be the case if the icon is set programmatically. I filed feedback FB20291186.
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3d
Icon Composer for visionOS and tvOS
As of right now Icon Composer does not support creating app icons for visionOS and tvOS. It appears that only system apps can provide glass icons for those platforms. How should developers handle this? In extreme cases, the flat icon on those platforms will look wildly different from their glass counterparts. From what I have seen visionOS and tvOS also do not apply any automatic treatment like on iOS where legacy icons get a glass effect. So, third party app icons are just going to look out of place for (hopefully just) a year on those platforms? What is the recommended approach here? You could obviously fake the effect, but I feel like that would be worse.
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162
Aug ’25
Any chance of still joining the UX Writing Lab?
I have accidentally missed the sign up window for the UX Writing lab by 1 hour, but I'd still love to join it if at all possible. I have had this lab several times in the past and it was always very informative. I have a time tracking app that helps people make the most of their time. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/timelines-time-tracking/id1112433234 I'm looking for guidance on how to improve copywriting in my onboarding sequence, on my paywall, and overall throughout the app. Thank you for considering. My Apple ID is lukas[at]glimsoft.com.
Topic: Design SubTopic: General
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67
Jun ’25
Center alignment in row of LazyVGrid
I am creating a LazyVGrid with 2 columns. I want it so that if there is only one item in a row, then it goes to the center of the row. I tried using an HStack with a Spacer, but it doesn't push it to the center. How do I do it? ForEach(pets) { pet in VStack { Image(pet.species.rawValue) .resizable() .frame(width: 80, height: 80) Text(pet.name) .poppinsBold(size: 16) } } HStack { if pets.hasEvenNumber { Spacer(minLength: 0) } Button { addPetSheet = true } label: { VStack { ZStack { Circle() .frame(width: 70, height: 70) .foregroundStyle(.gray) Image(systemName: "plus") .foregroundStyle(.white) .font(.title) } Text("Add") .poppinsBold(size: 16) } } } }
Topic: Design SubTopic: General Tags:
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458
Oct ’24
Give me my old Photos app back
Pleeease for the love of any and all things holy, I would really be eternally grateful if Apple decided to release an update that allows users to return to the old the photos app. Phones and technology are already overstimulating, and by making the photos app one continuous page it is emulating a social media app. The continuous page makes it much more overwhelming and confusing to find photos. Change and innovation is great! There are some changes that I enjoy from the ios 18 update, such as the little text enhancers that can emphasize certain words. However, the photos app was fine the way it was. If anything, Apple should allow the PAYING customers to choose how they would like their photos app (keeping the customizable option). also my battery which is normally super great is suddenly not as efficient…reminiscent of past devices I’ve had from Apple.
Topic: Design SubTopic: General
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529
Dec ’24
About tvOS Material (design resource)
I noticed a discrepancy between the Material specifications for tvOS on the Developer page and the naming in the Design Resources (Sketch files). Which one should we consider authoritative? Apple developer design web page:https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/materials design resource(sketch)
Topic: Design SubTopic: General
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42
Apr ’25