Ultimate Catalyst Guide

What are some design best practices for macOS support?

released Fri, 05 Jul 2019
Swift Version 5.1

These guidelines are based on information that Apple shared in different WWDC keynotes

  • Most Important: Apple has Human Interface Guidelines for iPad Apps for Mac
  • Macs don't have dynamic type. Everything is "Large"
  • Mac users have many windows open. Therefore you should set focus on the contents of the window. This means using less color so that the contents can shine
  • Use side bars and toolbars instead of a UITabBar
  • Try to take advantage of the bigger macOS windows. You can utilize different layouts and use the space wisely
  • Default font size on macOS is 13pt compared to 17pt on iOS. This is handled automatically for you though, as each app is scaled to 77% of its actual size