# Scenes Declare the user interface groupings that make up the parts of your app. ## Overview A scene represents a part of your app’s user interface that has a life cycle that the system manages. An [`App`](/documentation/SwiftUI/App) instance presents the scenes it contains, while each [`Scene`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Scene) acts as the root element of a [`View`](/documentation/SwiftUI/View) hierarchy.  The system presents scenes in different ways depending on the type of scene, the platform, and the context. A scene might fill the entire display, part of the display, a window, a tab in a window, or something else. In some cases, your app might also be able to display more than one instance of the scene at a time, like when a user simultaneously opens multiple windows based on a single [`WindowGroup`](/documentation/SwiftUI/WindowGroup) declaration in your app. For more information about the primary built-in scene types, see [Windows](/documentation/SwiftUI/Windows) and [Documents](/documentation/SwiftUI/Documents). You configure scenes using modifiers, similar to how you configure views. For example, you can adjust the appearance of the window that contains a scene — if the scene happens to appear in a window — using the [`windowStyle(_:)`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Scene/windowStyle(_:)) modifier. Similarly, you can add menu commands that become available when the scene is in the foreground on certain platforms using the [`commands(content:)`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Scene/commands(content:)) modifier. ## Topics ### Creating scenes [`Scene`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Scene) A part of an app’s user interface with a life cycle managed by the system. [`SceneBuilder`](/documentation/SwiftUI/SceneBuilder) A result builder for composing a collection of scenes into a single composite scene. ### Monitoring scene life cycle [`scenePhase`](/documentation/SwiftUI/EnvironmentValues/scenePhase) The current phase of the scene. [`ScenePhase`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ScenePhase) An indication of a scene’s operational state. ### Managing a settings window [`Settings`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Settings) A scene that presents an interface for viewing and modifying an app’s settings. [`SettingsLink`](/documentation/SwiftUI/SettingsLink) A view that opens the Settings scene defined by an app. [`OpenSettingsAction`](/documentation/SwiftUI/OpenSettingsAction) An action that presents the settings scene for an app. [`openSettings`](/documentation/SwiftUI/EnvironmentValues/openSettings) A Settings presentation action stored in a view’s environment. ### Building a menu bar [Building and customizing the menu bar with SwiftUI](/documentation/SwiftUI/Building-and-customizing-the-menu-bar-with-SwiftUI) Provide a seamless, cross-platform user experience by building a native menu bar for iPadOS and macOS. ### Creating a menu bar extra [`MenuBarExtra`](/documentation/SwiftUI/MenuBarExtra) A scene that renders itself as a persistent control in the system menu bar. [`menuBarExtraStyle(_:)`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Scene/menuBarExtraStyle(_:)) Sets the style for menu bar extra created by this scene. [`MenuBarExtraStyle`](/documentation/SwiftUI/MenuBarExtraStyle) A specification for the appearance and behavior of a menu bar extra scene. ### Creating watch notifications [`WKNotificationScene`](/documentation/SwiftUI/WKNotificationScene) A scene which appears in response to receiving the specified category of remote or local notifications. ### Presenting content on an external display [`sceneAccessory(content:)`](/documentation/SwiftUI/View/sceneAccessory(content:)) Defines any scene accessories associated with `self`. [`SceneAccessoryContent`](/documentation/SwiftUI/SceneAccessoryContent) Conforming types represent items which define content for scene accessories. [`ExternalNonInteractiveAccessory`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ExternalNonInteractiveAccessory) A scene accessory that presents non-interactive content on an external display. --- 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)