The premise of the iPadOS skill
Platform Design iPadOS is the ipados folder of ehmo's platform-design-skills pack. Its SKILL.md holds Apple HIG rules for iPad in seven sections: responsive layout, multitasking, navigation, pointer and trackpad, keyboard, Apple Pencil, and drag and drop, each with Swift examples.
The skill's first rule is a warning: stretching an iPhone layout across a 13 inch display wastes space and feels wrong. It asks for purpose-built layouts with multiple columns, master-detail patterns and higher information density.
Seven sections follow, each ranked. Responsive layout, multitasking and navigation are CRITICAL. Pointer, keyboard and drag and drop are HIGH, and Apple Pencil sits at MEDIUM.
What your agent will check
- Split View at one third, one half and two thirds widths, where the app receives a compact size class at the narrowest.
- Slide Over, which behaves like an iPhone-width overlay on the right edge.
- Stage Manager, with fluid resizing and multiple scenes showing different content.
- Sidebar navigation, including a TabView with the sidebarAdaptable style that converts to a sidebar in regular width.
Input beyond touch
Pointer rules ask for hover effects, magnetism on buttons and right-click context menus. Keyboard rules ask for Cmd shortcuts on major actions, registered so they appear in the overlay shown when the user holds Cmd.
Pencil rules cover Scribble, double-tap tool switching, and pressure and tilt for drawing. The drag and drop section treats dragging between apps as expected behavior, including multi-item drags and spring-loaded folders.
Fit and limits
Use it when
- You are building an iPad-first or universal SwiftUI app and your agent defaults to iPhone patterns.
- You need a checklist for adding keyboard shortcuts, pointer support and multiple windows.
- A review should confirm the detail pane is never blank when nothing is selected.
Pair it with
- Phone rules, which sit in the sibling iOS skill. Related: apple-design.
- Code-level SwiftUI advice. Related: swiftui-expert-skill.
Use it with UiChemy
This skill writes native iPad code, so UiChemy plays no part in it. If the same product needs a website, design the pages in Figma, convert them to editable WordPress pages with UiChemy, and click Get Started on uichemy.com. Related: building-native-ui and layout.
How to install Platform Design iPadOS: iPad HIG Rules for AI Agents
git clone https://github.com/ehmo/platform-design-skills.gitGet the repository
Clone it with the command above. This sidesteps the skills CLI line in the README and works with any agent that reads SKILL.md folders.
Pick the ipados folder
Inside the clone, copy skills/ipados. Its contents are SKILL.md, AGENTS.md, metadata.json and a rules folder.
Drop it into your agent's skills directory
The pack does not name agent folders. Use the skills location your own tool documents.
Run a first prompt
Ask the agent to audit an iPad SwiftUI view for multitasking and sidebar behavior, then check that the answer cites the numbered rules.
Check that it loaded
Ask the agent to audit one SwiftUI screen for Split View and keyboard support. A working install returns findings that mention size classes, Stage Manager or the Cmd-hold overlay.
Key features
- Adaptive size classesRule 1.1 tells the agent to branch on horizontal and vertical size classes instead of device model, so one layout serves every iPad.
- Anti iPhone-stretch ruleRule 1.2 forbids scaling up iPhone UI and points to multi-column layouts, master-detail patterns and higher density in regular width.
- Full range of iPad sizesThe skill names iPad Mini at 8.3 inches, iPad at 11, iPad Air at 11 and 13, and iPad Pro at 11 and 13, then asks for layouts that redistribute content.
- Split View and Slide OverContent must stay usable at every split ratio, and all functionality must remain reachable in the narrow Slide Over mode.
- Stage Manager and scenesWindows resize to arbitrary dimensions, and WindowGroup or UIScene lets users open several instances, restored with NSUserActivity.
- Sidebar and tab conversionA sidebar handles primary navigation, and a sidebarAdaptable TabView converts automatically, with a three-column layout for complex hierarchies.
- Pointer and context menusHover effects, button magnetism with contentShape, right-click menus, trackpad scroll behaviors and cursor customization each get a numbered rule.
- Keyboard shortcut disciplineShortcuts use keyboardShortcut, appear in the Cmd-hold overlay, and never claim Cmd+H, Cmd+Tab, Cmd+Space or Globe combinations.
- Apple Pencil supportScribble stays enabled, UIPencilInteraction handles double-tap, force and angle drive line width, and PencilKit integration has its own rule.
- Drag and drop between appsApps act as both source and destination, support multi-item drags with a badge count, and spring open nav elements on hover.
Frequently asked questions
What is the iPadOS design skill?
It is the ipados folder in the platform-design-skills repository. The SKILL.md turns Apple's Human Interface Guidelines for iPad into numbered rules across seven sections, so an AI agent builds adaptive, multitasking-ready interfaces rather than enlarged iPhone screens.
How do I install it?
The README documents a skills CLI command that this page skips. Clone ehmo/platform-design-skills and copy the skills/ipados folder into the directory where your agent loads skills. The pack gives no agent-specific folder names, so check your agent's documentation.
Which iPad features does it cover?
Responsive layout, Split View, Slide Over, Stage Manager, sidebar navigation, pointer and trackpad support, hardware keyboard shortcuts, Apple Pencil including Scribble and PencilKit, and inter-app drag and drop with multi-item support.
Does it replace the iOS skill?
No. The README says it extends the iOS skill with iPad-specific patterns. For an app that ships on both iPhone and iPad, install the iOS folder as well so shared rules about type, color and safe areas are available.
What does it say about keyboard shortcuts?
Major actions should have Cmd shortcuts registered with keyboardShortcut so they show in the Cmd-hold overlay, grouped logically. It also says never to override system shortcuts such as Cmd+H, Cmd+Tab and Cmd+Space, and to adapt when a hardware keyboard connects.
Will an agent apply these rules automatically?
The README states skills activate automatically when agents detect platform-relevant tasks. The frontmatter lists triggers such as iPad, Split View, Stage Manager, sidebar navigation and trackpad support. Still, name the platform in your prompt for the clearest result.
Does it work with Claude and other coding agents?
The README does not list supported agents. The folder uses the SKILL.md format with an AGENTS.md summary, so Claude or any agent that reads that format should be able to use it. Try one small review before relying on it.
What license applies?
The repository is MIT licensed according to GitHub metadata and the README. Keep the license text alongside the copied folder if you redistribute it inside your own repository or share it with a team.