# retain Increments the receiver’s reference count. ``` - (instancetype) retain; ``` ## Return Value `self`. ## Discussion You send an object a [`retain`](/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObject-c.protocol/retain) message when you want to prevent it from being deallocated until you have finished using it. An object is deallocated automatically when its reference count reaches `0`. [`retain`](/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObject-c.protocol/retain) messages increment the reference count, and [`release`](/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObject-c.protocol/release) messages decrement it. For more information on this mechanism, see [Advanced Memory Management Programming Guide](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/MemoryMgmt/Articles/MemoryMgmt.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000011i). As a convenience, [`retain`](/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObject-c.protocol/retain) returns `self` because it may be used in nested expressions. You would implement this method only if you were defining your own reference-counting scheme. Such implementations must return `self` and should not invoke the inherited method by sending a [`retain`](/documentation/ObjectiveC/NSObject-c.protocol/retain) message to `super`. ### Special Considerations Instead of using manual reference counting, you should adopt ARC—see [Transitioning to ARC Release Notes](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/releasenotes/ObjectiveC/RN-TransitioningToARC/Introduction/Introduction.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40011226). --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)