expo-ios-hig

Design

Expo / React Native iOS interface conforming to Apple Human Interface Guidelines (iOS 26) — native navigation (Expo Router native stack and tabs), platform controls (Alert, ActionSheetIOS, SF Symbols via expo-symbols), safe areas, dark mode, Dynamic Type, haptics, Liquid Glass, accessibility, and 60fps motion. Covers architecture and styling decisions made in React Native/TypeScript; for the @expo/ui SwiftUI component API use the expo-ui skill, and for native Swift use ios-hig. Trigger when building, reviewing, or refactoring such an app — even when the user does not say "HIG" or "native feel" but is writing TSX screens, navigation, lists, forms, or styling for iOS in Expo.

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Expo iOS HIG Best Practices

Design rules for building iOS 26 apps in Expo (React Native) that feel genuinely native under Apple's Human Interface Guidelines. Contains 46 rules across 8 categories, prioritized by how much each decision affects native feel and HIG compliance. Every example is TSX/Expo — the decisions you make in React Native and TypeScript, not Swift.

The core idea: a React Native app feels native when it reaches for the platform — the system navigation controller, system controls, semantic colors, SF Symbols, real haptics, the system share sheet — instead of re-implementing iOS in JavaScript. These rules say which decision earns the native feel and which one quietly forfeits it.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

Building or reviewing iOS screens, navigation, lists, or forms in an Expo app
Choosing navigation: Expo Router native stack vs JS stack, native tabs, sheets, modals, large titles
Picking controls: when to use the native Alert, ActionSheetIOS, date picker, Switch, SF Symbols, or drop to @expo/ui
Styling for the platform: safe areas, dark mode, semantic colors, the iOS type scale, spacing, Liquid Glass
Making interaction feel native: touch targets, press feedback, swipe actions, pull-to-refresh, gestures, haptics
Adding motion, loading/empty states, accessibility, permissions, and launch polish

When NOT to Use This Skill

The @expo/ui component API — for how to use @expo/ui/swift-ui components, Host boundaries, and modifiers, use the expo-ui skill. This skill says which decisions make an app native and points to @expo/ui when dropping to SwiftUI is the right call; it does not re-document that API.
The cross-platform design system itself — for the shared Unistyles theme, design tokens, variant-driven component APIs, and making components feel native on web as well as iOS, use the expo-design-system skill. This skill governs iOS native feel; that one governs the token and component architecture that the two frontends share.
Native Swift / SwiftUI — for HIG in a native Swift codebase, use ios-hig or ios-design. This skill's examples are all React Native/TSX.
Android — these rules target iOS conventions. Use platform-adaptive code so Android gets Material; don't apply iOS idioms there.

Rule Categories by Priority

Priority	Category	Impact	Prefix
1	Native Navigation Architecture	CRITICAL	`nav-`
2	Native Component Fidelity	CRITICAL	`native-`
3	Layout & Adaptivity	HIGH	`layout-`
4	Touch, Gestures & Haptics	HIGH	`touch-`
5	Visual System & Liquid Glass	HIGH	`visual-`
6	Motion & Feedback	MEDIUM-HIGH	`motion-`
7	Accessibility	MEDIUM-HIGH	`acc-`
8	System Integration & Polish	MEDIUM	`system-`

Quick Reference

1. Native Navigation Architecture (CRITICAL)

nav-native-stack — Use Expo Router's native Stack for screen hierarchy
nav-native-tabs — Adopt native tabs for top-level sections
nav-large-titles — Enable large titles on top-level screens
nav-sheet-detents — Present secondary tasks as sheets with detents
nav-push-vs-present — Push for hierarchy and present for self-contained tasks
nav-search-in-header — Place search in the navigation bar
nav-system-back — Keep the system back button and swipe-back gesture

2. Native Component Fidelity (CRITICAL)

native-avoid-material-ui — Avoid Material Design component kits on iOS
native-sf-symbols — Use SF Symbols for iconography
native-system-alert — Use the native alert for confirmations
native-action-sheet — Use an action sheet to choose among actions
native-datetime-picker — Use the native date and time picker
native-switch-toggle — Use the platform Switch for boolean settings

3. Layout & Adaptivity (HIGH)

layout-safe-area-insets — Respect safe-area insets with the safe-area context
layout-edge-to-edge — Extend scrollable content under translucent bars
layout-keyboard-avoidance — Keep inputs visible above the keyboard
layout-dark-mode-semantic — Drive colors from the active color scheme
layout-content-inset-under-bars — Inset list content past the tab bar and home indicator
layout-readable-width-ipad — Constrain reading width on iPad and large screens

4. Touch, Gestures & Haptics (HIGH)

touch-hit-target — Size touch targets to at least 44pt
touch-pressable-feedback — Give every control immediate press feedback
touch-swipe-actions — Offer swipe actions on list rows
touch-pull-to-refresh — Use RefreshControl for pull-to-refresh
touch-gesture-handler-thread — Drive interactive gestures with Gesture Handler
touch-haptics-on-outcome — Pair haptics with meaningful outcomes

5. Visual System & Liquid Glass (HIGH)

visual-semantic-colors — Use semantic system colors instead of hardcoded hex
visual-system-font — Use the system font for interface text
visual-type-scale — Map text styles to the iOS type scale
visual-spacing-rhythm — Derive spacing from a single base unit
visual-liquid-glass-gated — Apply Liquid Glass through a version-gated native view
visual-tint-discipline — Reserve the accent tint for interactive elements

6. Motion & Feedback (MEDIUM-HIGH)

motion-ui-thread-animation — Run animations on the UI thread
motion-virtualized-lists — Render long lists with a virtualized list
motion-loading-states — Show content-shaped placeholders while loading
motion-empty-states — Design empty states that guide the next action
motion-optimistic-updates — Apply optimistic updates for user actions

7. Accessibility (MEDIUM-HIGH)

acc-roles-labels — Label interactive and icon-only controls for VoiceOver
acc-dynamic-type — Let text scale with Dynamic Type
acc-reduce-motion — Honor the Reduce Motion setting
acc-state-and-hint — Expose control state to assistive technology
acc-grouping-focus — Group related elements for a logical focus order

8. System Integration & Polish (MEDIUM)

system-permissions-jit — Request permissions just in time with a rationale
system-status-bar — Match the status bar style to the content behind it
system-keyboard-type — Configure each text field for its content
system-share-sheet — Share through the system share sheet
system-app-icon-launch — Configure a real app icon and launch screen

How to Use

Read individual reference files for detailed explanations and code examples:

Section definitions — Category structure and impact levels
Rule template — Template for adding new rules
Reference files: references/{prefix}-{slug}.md

Each rule file contains a short explanation of why it matters for native feel, an Incorrect (non-native) TSX example, a Correct (native) example that is a minimal diff from it, and an authoritative reference URL. Where relevant, rules add a "When NOT to use this pattern" or "Alternative" section.

Related Skills

expo-ui — @expo/ui/swift-ui component API reference. Use it when the rules here point you to native SwiftUI components.
ios-hig / ios-design — HIG and Apple design principles for native Swift/SwiftUI codebases.
expo — Expo React Native performance optimization, complementary to the motion/list rules here.