Apple · Design system breakdown
The platform conventions every Apple-shaped product is measured against.
The Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines first shipped in 1987 and have evolved continuously since — through OS X, iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and now visionOS. The current HIG is a single web reference covering every Apple platform, refreshed in lockstep with WWDC and major OS releases.
Apple's Human Interface team owns it; updates ship on Apple's release cadence with no public RFC process or external contribution path. SF Symbols, SF Pro, and the platform component code are gated behind Apple's developer tooling and licenses.
| Token | Value | Role |
|---|---|---|
| label (primary) | labelColor / UIColor.label | Default body text, light + dark adaptive |
| secondaryLabel | secondaryLabelColor | Metadata, captions, supporting copy |
| systemBackground | systemBackground | Page surface, adaptive across appearances |
| tintColor | Per-app accent | Default control color, app-themable |
| SF Pro Text · Body | 17pt / Dynamic Type | Default reading size on iOS |
| Corner radius (sheet) | 10pt → 13pt → continuous | Modal sheet corners on iPhone |
Token names and values are illustrative — refer to the system's official tokens reference for the canonical, current set.
If you're evaluating this system
If you ship native on any Apple platform, HIG is the foundation, full stop — App Store review reads against it. Don't treat it as a cross-platform system: its assumptions about hardware, gestures, and frameworks don't survive the trip.
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