Apple HIG: From Functional to Premium

The polish patterns that make iOS apps feel native — and the violations that get rejected.

Core Principles

44pt

Min Touch Target

Polish Patterns

Modes (Light+Dark)

The six core principles

Hierarchy

Visual weight matches importance.

Harmony

Consistent style throughout.

Consistency

Same pattern, same place.

Feedback

Every action gets a response.

Depth

Layered surfaces, real materials.

Direct manipulation

Feel like touching the data.

Polish patterns (lift apps from functional to premium)

HIGHEST IMPACT

Empty states with personality

Empty lists with thoughtful illustration + suggested next action. The "I just installed this" first impression.

Haptics on key moments

Success, error, important taps. Subtle but defining.

Pull-to-refresh + swipe actions

Standard iOS gestures users expect.

Skeleton loading states

Not bare spinners. Show structure, fade content in.

Spring animations

Natural motion. 250-400ms typical. Respect Reduce Motion.

SF Symbols + materials

Apple's icons + translucent surfaces. Free native feel.

Top Rejection Triggers

Web-view-wrapped sites with bad scroll
Touch targets < 44pt
Missing back-swipe in nav hierarchy
Modal traps with no clear dismiss
Permission requests before context
Inadequate dark mode (some screens stuck light)
Text clipping at large Dynamic Type

Pro Tip

SwiftUI default components are HIG-compliant. Most rejections happen on custom controls. When in doubt, use the system component.

Pre-submission checklist

Test on real devices

Every screen × light + dark
Every flow, both modes
Dynamic Type at xS & xxxL+
No clipping, layouts adapt
VoiceOver walkthrough
Every flow audible
System back-swipe works
In every nav hierarchy
App icon at Home Screen size
Recognizable at 60×60

iPhone SE — smallest
Does the cramped case work?
iPhone Pro Max
Uses the larger screen?
iPad — adaptive layout
Sidebar + keyboard shortcuts