Axiom Swiftui 26 Ref

SwiftUI 26 Features

Overview

Comprehensive guide to new SwiftUI features in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26. From the Liquid Glass design system to rich text editing, these enhancements make SwiftUI more powerful across all Apple platforms.

Core principle From low level performance improvements all the way up through the buttons in your user interface, there are some major improvements across the system.

When to Use This Skill

• Adopting the Liquid Glass design system
• Implementing rich text editing with AttributedString
• Embedding web content with WebView
• Optimizing list and scrolling performance
• Using the @Animatable macro for custom animations
• Building 3D spatial layouts on visionOS
• Bridging SwiftUI scenes to UIKit/AppKit apps
• Implementing drag and drop with multiple items
• Creating 3D charts with Chart3D
• Adding widgets to visionOS or CarPlay
• Adding custom tick marks to sliders (chapter markers, value indicators)
• Constraining slider selection ranges with enabledBounds
• Customizing slider appearance (thumb visibility, current value labels)
• Creating sticky safe area bars with blur effects
• Opening URLs in in-app browser
• Using system-styled close and confirm buttons
• Applying glass button styles (iOS 26.1+)
• Controlling button sizing behavior
• Implementing compact search toolbars

System Requirements

iOS 26+, iPadOS 26+, macOS Tahoe+, watchOS 26+, visionOS 26+

Liquid Glass Design System

For comprehensive Liquid Glass coverage, see

• axiom-liquid-glass skill — Design principles, implementation, variants, design review pressure
• axiom-liquid-glass-ref skill — App-wide adoption guide (app icons, controls, navigation, menus, windows)

Overview

The new design system provides "a bright and fluid experience that's consistent across Apple platforms." Apps automatically adopt the new appearance upon recompilation - navigation containers, tab bars, and toolbars update automatically.

Key visual elements

• Glassy sidebars on iPad/macOS that reflect surrounding content
• Compact tab bars on iPhone
• Liquid Glass toolbar items with morphing transitions
• Blur effects on scroll edges

Automatic Adoption

// No code changes required - recompile and get new design
NavigationSplitView {
    List {
        // Sidebar automatically gets glassy appearance on iPad/macOS
    }
} detail: {
    // Detail view
}

// Tab bars automatically compact on iPhone
TabView {
    // Tabs get new appearance
}

Toolbar Customization

Toolbar Spacer API

.toolbar {
    ToolbarItemGroup(placement: .topBarTrailing) {
        Button("Up") { }
        Button("Down") { }

        // Fixed spacer separates button groups
        ToolbarSpacer(.fixed)

        Button("Settings") { }
    }
}

ToolbarItemGroup for Visual Grouping

Items within a ToolbarItemGroup share a single Liquid Glass background, creating a visual "pill" for related actions:

.toolbar {
    ToolbarItem(placement: .cancellationAction) {
        Button("Cancel", systemImage: "xmark") {}
    }

    ToolbarItemGroup(placement: .primaryAction) {
        Button("Draw", systemImage: "pencil") {}
        Button("Erase", systemImage: "eraser") {}
    }

    ToolbarSpacer(.flexible)

    ToolbarItem(placement: .confirmationAction) {
        Button("Save", systemImage: "checkmark") {}
    }
}

Key insight: ToolbarItemPlacement now controls visual appearance, not just position. confirmationAction automatically applies glassProminent styling; cancellationAction uses standard glass.

Prominent Tinted Buttons in Liquid Glass

Button("Add Trip") {
    addTrip()
}
.buttonStyle(.borderedProminent)
.tint(.blue)
// Liquid Glass toolbars support tinting for prominence

Toolbar items also support .badge() for notification counts:

ToolbarItem(placement: .confirmationAction) {
    Button("Done", systemImage: "checkmark") { }
        .badge(3)  // Badge count on glass toolbar item
}

Removing Items from Group Background

Some toolbar items should appear without the shared group background, like an avatar or standalone icon. Apply sharedBackgroundVisibility(.hidden) to separate an item visually:

.toolbar {
    ToolbarItem(placement: .topBarTrailing) {
        // Avatar appears without glass background pill
        Image(systemName: "person.crop.circle")
            .sharedBackgroundVisibility(.hidden)
    }
}

Monochrome Icon Rendering

Icons use monochrome rendering in more places, including toolbars. This reduces visual noise, emphasizes content, and maintains legibility. You can still tint icons with .tint(), but use it to convey meaning (call to action, next step) — not just for visual effect.

Toolbar Transitions & Morphing

iOS 26 toolbars automatically morph between screens during NavigationStack push/pop transitions. The key insight: attach .toolbar {} to individual views inside NavigationStack, not to NavigationStack itself.

DefaultToolbarItem

iOS 26+. A toolbar item representing a system component. Use it to reposition system-provided items (like search) within your toolbar layout.

struct DefaultToolbarItem {
    init(kind: ToolbarDefaultItemKind, placement: ToolbarItemPlacement = .automatic)
}

Key semantic: If the system has already placed a matching item kind in the toolbar, DefaultToolbarItem implicitly replaces the default-placed instance. This lets you move system items to different placements or reposition them relative to your own toolbar content.

Repositioning search between toolbar items

NavigationSplitView {
    AllCalendarsView()
} detail: {
    SelectedCalendarView()
        .searchable(text: $query)
        .toolbar {
            ToolbarItem(placement: .bottomBar) {
                CalendarPicker()
            }
            ToolbarItem(placement: .bottomBar) {
                Invites()
            }
            DefaultToolbarItem(kind: .search, placement: .bottomBar)
            ToolbarSpacer(placement: .bottomBar)
            ToolbarItem(placement: .bottomBar) { NewEventButton() }
        }
}

Specifying search column in collapsed NavigationSplitView

Place DefaultToolbarItem with .search kind in the column that should display search when the split view collapses to compact (iPhone):

NavigationSplitView {
    SidebarView()
        .toolbar {
            DefaultToolbarItem(kind: .search, placement: .bottomBar)
        }
} content: {
    ContentView()
} detail: {
    DetailView()
}
.searchable(text: $text)

This only applies when .searchable() is placed on the NavigationSplitView itself (not a child view).

Availability check for backward compatibility

.toolbar {
    if #available(iOS 26.0, *) {
        DefaultToolbarItem(kind: .search, placement: .bottomBar)
        ToolbarSpacer(.flexible, placement: .bottomBar)
    }
    ToolbarItem(placement: .bottomBar) {
        NewNoteButton()
    }
}
.searchable(text: $searchText)

Basic Morphing Setup

Each view declares its own toolbar. iOS 26 morphs between them during navigation:

struct MailboxList: View {
    var body: some View {
        List(mailboxes) { mailbox in
            NavigationLink(mailbox.name, value: mailbox)
        }
        .toolbar {  // ← Attached to this view, not NavigationStack
            ToolbarItem(placement: .bottomBar) {
                Button("Filter", systemImage: "line.3.horizontal.decrease") { }
            }
            ToolbarSpacer(.flexible, placement: .bottomBar)
            ToolbarItem(placement: .bottomBar) {
                Button("New Message", systemImage: "square.and.pencil") { }
            }
        }
    }
}

struct MessageList: View {
    let mailbox: Mailbox

    var body: some View {
        List(mailbox.messages) { message in
            MessageRow(message: message)
        }
        .toolbar {  // ← Different toolbar — iOS 26 morphs between them
            ToolbarSpacer(.flexible, placement: .bottomBar)
            ToolbarItem(placement: .bottomBar) {
                Button("New Message", systemImage: "square.and.pencil") { }
            }
        }
    }
}

#1 gotcha: If you attach .toolbar {} to the NavigationStack itself, iOS 26 has nothing to morph between — the toolbar stays static across all pushes.

Stable Items with toolbar(id:) and ToolbarItem(id:)

Items with matching IDs across screens stay in place during morphing (no bounce). Unmatched items animate in/out:

struct MailboxList: View {
    var body: some View {
        List(mailboxes) { mailbox in
            NavigationLink(mailbox.name, value: mailbox)
        }
        .toolbar(id: "main") {
            ToolbarItem(id: "filter", placement: .bottomBar) {
                Button("Filter", systemImage: "line.3.horizontal.decrease") { }
            }
            ToolbarSpacer(.flexible, placement: .bottomBar)
            ToolbarItem(id: "compose", placement: .bottomBar) {
                Button("New Message", systemImage: "square.and.pencil") { }
            }
        }
    }
}

struct MessageList: View {
    let mailbox: Mailbox

    var body: some View {
        List(mailbox.messages) { message in
            MessageRow(message: message)
        }
        .toolbar(id: "main") {
            // "filter" absent — animates out during push
            ToolbarSpacer(.flexible, placement: .bottomBar)
            ToolbarItem(id: "compose", placement: .bottomBar) {
                // Same ID as MailboxList — stays stable during morph
                Button("New Message", systemImage: "square.and.pencil") { }
            }
        }
    }
}

Complete Mail-Style Example

Combines DefaultToolbarItem, ToolbarSpacer, and stable compose button:

struct MailApp: View {
    var body: some View {
        NavigationStack {
            MailboxList()
                .navigationDestination(for: Mailbox.self) { mailbox in
                    MessageList(mailbox: mailbox)
                }
                .navigationDestination(for: Message.self) { message in
                    MessageDetail(message: message)
                }
        }
    }
}

// Each destination defines its own toolbar — NavigationStack morphs between them

ToolbarSpacer(.flexible)

Pushes toolbar items apart (like Spacer in HStack). Complements .fixed for visual separation:

.toolbar {
    ToolbarItem(placement: .bottomBar) {
        Button("Archive", systemImage: "archivebox") { }
    }
    ToolbarSpacer(.flexible, placement: .bottomBar)  // Push apart
    ToolbarItem(placement: .bottomBar) {
        Button("Compose", systemImage: "square.and.pencil") { }
    }
}

.navigationSubtitle()

Add a secondary line below the navigation title:

.navigationTitle("Inbox")
.navigationSubtitle("3 unread messages")

User-Customizable Toolbars

toolbar(id:content:) also enables user customization — letting people rearrange, show, and hide toolbar items. This is the original purpose of the identified toolbar API (iOS 14+, iPadOS 16+ for customization).

Setup

TextEditor(text: $text)
    .toolbar(id: "editingtools") {
        ToolbarItem(id: "bold", placement: .secondaryAction) {
            Toggle(isOn: $bold) { Image(systemName: "bold") }
        }
        ToolbarItem(id: "italic", placement: .secondaryAction) {
            Toggle(isOn: $italic) { Image(systemName: "italic") }
        }
    }

Platform constraint: Only .secondaryAction items support customization on iPadOS. Other placements follow normal rules and cannot be customized by the user.

Controlling visibility

ToolbarItem(id: "advanced", placement: .secondaryAction, showsByDefault: false) {
    // Hidden by default — user can add from customization editor
    AdvancedFormattingControls()
}

macOS toolbar customization menu

Add ToolbarCommands() to enable the Customize Toolbar menu item:

@main
struct MyApp: App {
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
        }
        .commands {
            ToolbarCommands()
        }
    }
}

Users can also Control-click the toolbar to access the customization editor.

Related types

• CustomizableToolbarContent — Protocol for content that supports customization
• ToolbarCustomizationBehavior — Control whether items can be added/removed
• ToolbarCustomizationOptions — Options for the customization experience

ToolbarSpacer in customizable toolbars

Spacers are customizable items too — users can add, remove, and rearrange them from the customization panel. If a customizable toolbar supports a spacer of a given type, users can also add multiple copies:

ContentView()
    .toolbar(id: "main-toolbar") {
        ToolbarItem(id: "tag") { TagButton() }
        ToolbarItem(id: "share") { ShareButton() }
        ToolbarSpacer(.fixed)
        ToolbarItem(id: "more") { MoreButton() }
    }

Scroll Edge Effects

Automatic blur on scroll edges

ScrollView {
    // When content scrolls under toolbar/navigation bar,
    // blur effect automatically ensures bar content remains legible
    ForEach(trips) { trip in
        TripRow(trip: trip)
    }
}
// No code required - automatic scroll edge blur

Bottom-Aligned Search

Foundational search APIs For .searchable, isSearching, suggestions, scopes, tokens, and programmatic search control, see axiom-swiftui-search-ref. This section covers iOS 26 refinements only.

iPhone ergonomics

NavigationSplitView {
    List { }
        .searchable(text: $searchText)
}
// Placement on NavigationSplitView automatically:
// - Bottom-aligned on iPhone (more ergonomic)
// - Top trailing corner on iPad

To restore pre-iOS 26 sidebar-embedded search on iPad, specify placement: .sidebar:

NavigationSplitView {
    List { }
        .searchable(text: $searchText, placement: .sidebar)
        // Search field embedded in sidebar instead of floating glass container
}

System Auto-Minimization

Depending on device size, number of toolbar buttons, and other factors, the system may choose to minimize the search field into a toolbar button automatically. When tapped, a full-width search field appears above the keyboard. Use searchToolbarBehavior(.minimize) to explicitly opt in to this behavior when search isn't the main part of your experience.

Search Tab Role

Searching in multi-tab apps is often done as a dedicated page. Set a search role on one of your tabs and place .searchable on the TabView:

TabView {
    BrowseView()
        .tabItem { Label("Browse", systemImage: "square.grid.2x2") }

    Tab(role: .search) {
        SearchView()
    }
}
.searchable(text: $searchText)

When someone selects the search tab, the search field takes the place of the tab bar. People can interact with browsing suggestions or tap the search field to bring up the keyboard.

On iPad and Mac, when someone selects the search tab, the search field appears centered above the app's browsing suggestions — a different layout than iPhone's tab-bar replacement.

See swiftui-nav-ref skill Section 5.5 (iOS 26 Tab Features) for full Tab(role: .search) patterns.

Glass Effect for Custom Views

struct ToTopButton: View {
    var body: some View {
        Button("To Top", systemImage: "chevron.up") {
            scrollToTop()
        }
        .padding()
        .glassEffect() // Reflects surrounding content
    }

    func scrollToTop() { }
}

SwiftUI automatically uses a vibrant text color that adapts to maintain legibility against colorful backgrounds. Tints also use vibrant color that adapts to the content behind them.

On iOS, add the .interactive modifier to the glass effect for custom controls or containers with interactive elements. Glass reacts to user interaction by scaling, bouncing, and shimmering.

GlassEffectContainer

Combine multiple glass elements with GlassEffectContainer. This is essential for visual correctness — glass samples content from an area larger than itself, but glass cannot sample other glass. Nearby glass elements in different containers produce inconsistent behavior:

GlassEffectContainer {
    HStack(spacing: 12) {
        ForEach(badges) { badge in
            BadgeView(badge: badge)
                .glassEffect()
        }
    }
}

glassEffectID for Morphing Transitions

Use glassEffectID with a namespace to create fluid morphing transitions between glass elements:

@Namespace private var badgeNamespace

var body: some View {
    if isExpanded {
        // Expanded badge stack
        GlassEffectContainer {
            VStack {
                ForEach(badges) { badge in
                    BadgeView(badge: badge)
                        .glassEffect()
                        .glassEffectID(badge.id, in: badgeNamespace)
                }
            }
        }
    } else {
        // Collapsed into toolbar button
        Button("Badges", systemImage: "star.fill") {
            isExpanded.toggle()
        }
        .glassEffect()
        .glassEffectID("collapsed", in: badgeNamespace)
    }
}
// Tapping the button expands badges with fluid glass morphing;
// tapping again re-absorbs them into the button

Sheets with Liquid Glass

Remove presentationBackground

Partial height sheets are inset by default with a Liquid Glass background. At smaller heights, bottom edges pull in, nesting in the curved edges of the display. When transitioning to full height, the glass gradually becomes opaque and anchors to the screen edge.

If you've used presentationBackground to apply a custom background to sheets, consider removing it and let the new material shine:

// ❌ Custom background interferes with Liquid Glass sheet material
.sheet(isPresented: $showDetail) {
    DetailView()
        .presentationBackground(.thinMaterial)  // Remove this
}

// ✅ System applies Liquid Glass automatically
.sheet(isPresented: $showDetail) {
    DetailView()
}

Sheet Morphing from Buttons

Sheets can morph directly out of the buttons that present them. Use navigationZoomTransition to connect the source view to the sheet content:

.toolbar {
    ToolbarItem(placement: .topBarTrailing) {
        Button("Details", systemImage: "info.circle") {
            showDetails = true
        }
        .matchedTransitionSource(id: "details", in: namespace)
    }
}
.sheet(isPresented: $showDetails) {
    DetailsSheet()
        .navigationTransition(.zoom(sourceID: "details", in: namespace))
}

Menus, alerts, and popovers also flow smoothly out of Liquid Glass controls. Dialogs automatically morph out of the buttons that present them — no additional code needed.

System Controls Updates

Controls now have the new design automatically:

• Toggles
• Segmented pickers
• Sliders

Reference "Build a SwiftUI app with the new design" (WWDC 2025-323) for adoption best practices and advanced customizations.

Button Shape Changes

Bordered buttons now have a capsule shape by default, harmonious with the curved corners of the new design. On macOS, mini, small, and medium size controls retain a rounded-rectangle shape to preserve horizontal density.

// Capsule is now the default bordered shape on iOS
Button("Action") { }
    .buttonStyle(.bordered)  // Capsule shape on iOS 26

// Override with buttonBorderShape if needed
Button("Action") { }
    .buttonStyle(.bordered)
    .buttonBorderShape(.roundedRectangle)  // Force rounded rectangle

Extra Large Buttons

For prominent actions, iOS 26 adds support for extra large sized buttons:

Button("Get Started") { startOnboarding() }
    .buttonStyle(.borderedProminent)
    .controlSize(.extraLarge)  // New extra-large size

Updated Control Heights

Control heights are updated for the new design. Most controls on macOS are slightly taller, providing more breathing room around labels and enhancing click targets.

For compatibility with existing high-density layouts (complex inspectors, popovers), apply controlSize to a single control or an entire container:

// Preserve density in complex inspectors
Form {
    // controls here
}
.controlSize(.small)  // Maintains pre-iOS 26 density

Menu Cross-Platform Consistency

Menus across platforms have a new design and more consistent layout. Icons are consistently on the leading edge and are now used on macOS too. The same API using Label or standard control initializers now creates the same result on both platforms:

Menu("Actions") {
    Button("Copy", systemImage: "doc.on.doc") { copy() }
    Button("Paste", systemImage: "doc.on.clipboard") { paste() }
    Button("Delete", systemImage: "trash", role: .destructive) { delete() }
}
// Same result on iOS and macOS — icons on leading edge

Concentric Rectangle Shape

Controls align their corners perfectly within their containers — even the device itself. This is corner concentricity. A button at the bottom of a sheet should share the same corner center with the sheet.

// Automatic concentricity with container
Button("Confirm") { confirm() }
    .clipShape(.rect(cornerRadius: 12, style: .containerConcentric))
    // Shape automatically matches container across displays and window shapes

Use case: Buttons positioned at the edges of sheets, popovers, or cards that need their corners to feel visually nested within the container.

Slider Enhancements

iOS 26 introduces major enhancements to Slider: custom tick marks, constrained selection ranges, current value labels, and thumb visibility control.

Slider Ticks API

Core Types

Basic Ticks

Static tick marks

struct SpeedSlider: View {
    @State private var speed: Double = 0.5

    var body: some View {
        Slider(value: $speed) {
            Text("Speed")
        } ticks: {
            SliderTick(0.2)
            SliderTick(0.5)
            SliderTick(0.8)
        }
    }
}

Labeled Ticks

Ticks with custom labels

Slider(value: $value, in: 0...10) {
    Text("Rating")
} ticks: {
    SliderTick(0) { Text("Min") }
    SliderTick(5) { Text("Mid") }
    SliderTick(10) { Text("Max") }
}

Dynamic Ticks with SliderTickContentForEach

Iterate over values to create ticks

struct TemperatureSlider: View {
    @State private var temp: Float = 70

    var body: some View {
        let stops: [Float] = stride(from: 60, through: 80, by: 5).map { Float($0) }

        Slider(value: $temp, in: 60...80) {
            Text("Temperature")
        } ticks: {
            SliderTickContentForEach(stops, id: \.self) { value in
                SliderTick(value) {
                    Text("\(Int(value))°")
                        .font(.caption2)
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Custom Data with Ticks (API Constraint)

Important SliderTickContentForEach requires Data.Element to match the SliderTick<V> value type. You cannot iterate directly over custom structs.

❌ This won't compile

struct Chapter {
    let time: Double
    let name: String
    let id: UUID
}

// ERROR: Data.Element (Chapter) doesn't match SliderTick value type (Double)
SliderTickContentForEach(chapters, id: \.id) { chapter in
    SliderTick(chapter.time) { Text(chapter.name) }
}

✅ Workaround: Extract values, look up labels

struct ChapterSlider: View {
    @Binding var currentTime: Double
    let chapters: [Chapter]
    let duration: Double

    var body: some View {
        Slider(value: $currentTime, in: 0...duration) {
            Text("Time")
        } ticks: {
            // Iterate over Double values, not Chapter structs
            SliderTickContentForEach(chapters.map(\.time), id: \.self) { time in
                SliderTick(time) {
                    // Look up chapter name for label
                    if let chapter = chapters.first(where: { $0.time == time }) {
                        Text(chapter.name)
                            .font(.caption2)
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Why The API ties tick positions to slider values (BinaryFloatingPoint). The type system enforces this so ticks align correctly with the slider's value range.

Advanced Slider Initializers

Full-featured slider with ticks

Slider(
    value: $rating,
    in: 0...100,
    neutralValue: 50,           // Starting point / center value
    enabledBounds: 20...80,     // Restrict selectable range
    label: { Text("Rating") },
    currentValueLabel: { Text("\(Int(rating))") },
    minimumValueLabel: { Text("0") },
    maximumValueLabel: { Text("100") },
    ticks: {
        SliderTick(20) { Text("Min") }
        SliderTick(50) { Text("Neutral") }
        SliderTick(80) { Text("Max") }
    },
    onEditingChanged: { editing in
        print(editing ? "Started" : "Ended")
    }
)

Parameters

Step-Based Ticks

Automatic ticks at each step

Slider(
    value: $volume,
    in: 0...10,
    step: 2,
    label: { Text("Volume") },
    tick: { value in
        // Called for each step value (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
        SliderTick(value) {
            Text("\(Int(value))")
        }
    }
)

sliderThumbVisibility

Hide slider thumb for minimal interfaces

struct MediaControlView: View {
    @State private var progress: CGFloat = 0.5

    var body: some View {
        Slider(value: $progress)
            .sliderThumbVisibility(.hidden)
            .padding(.horizontal, 16)
    }
}

Visibility options

• .automatic — System default (usually visible)
• .visible — Always show thumb
• .hidden — Hide thumb

Use cases

• Media player progress indicators
• Read-only value displays
• Minimal UI designs where slider acts as progress view
• Interactive sliders where visual focus should be on track, not thumb

Note On watchOS, the slider thumb is always visible regardless of this setting.

Complete Media Player Example

struct MediaPlayerControls: View {
    @State private var currentTime: Double = 0
    let duration: Double = 300 // 5 minutes
    let chapters: [Chapter] = [
        Chapter(time: 0, name: "Intro", id: UUID()),
        Chapter(time: 60, name: "Verse 1", id: UUID()),
        Chapter(time: 120, name: "Chorus", id: UUID()),
        Chapter(time: 180, name: "Verse 2", id: UUID()),
        Chapter(time: 240, name: "Outro", id: UUID())
    ]

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            // Time display
            HStack {
                Text(formatTime(currentTime))
                Spacer()
                Text(formatTime(duration))
            }
            .font(.caption)

            // Slider with chapter ticks
            Slider(
                value: $currentTime,
                in: 0...duration,
                label: { Text("Playback") },
                currentValueLabel: {
                    if let chapter = currentChapter {
                        Text(chapter.name)
                            .font(.caption)
                    }
                },
                ticks: {
                    SliderTickContentForEach(chapters.map(\.time), id: \.self) { time in
                        SliderTick(time)
                    }
                }
            )
            .sliderThumbVisibility(.hidden)
        }
        .padding()
    }

    var currentChapter: Chapter? {
        chapters.last { $0.time <= currentTime }
    }

    func formatTime(_ seconds: Double) -> String {
        let mins = Int(seconds) / 60
        let secs = Int(seconds) % 60
        return String(format: "%d:%02d", mins, secs)
    }
}

New View Modifiers

safeAreaBar

Sticky bars with progressive blur

struct ContentView: View {
    var body: some View {
        NavigationStack {
            List {
                ForEach(1...20, id: \.self) { index in
                    Text("\(index). Item")
                }
            }
            .safeAreaBar(edge: .bottom) {
                Text("Bottom Action Bar")
                    .padding(.vertical, 15)
            }
            .scrollEdgeEffectStyle(.soft, for: .bottom)
            // Alternative: .scrollEdgeEffectStyle(.hard, for: .bottom)
        }
    }
}

Features

• Works like safeAreaInset but with integrated blur
• Progressive blur (.soft) or hard blur (.hard) via scrollEdgeEffectStyle
• Automatically respects safe areas
• Bar remains fixed while content scrolls beneath

Use cases

• Action bars that remain visible while scrolling
• Fixed controls at screen edges
• Bottom toolbars with scroll blur

onOpenURL Enhancement

Open links in in-app browser

struct LinkView: View {
    @Environment(\.openURL) var openURL

    var body: some View {
        let website = URL(string: "https://example.com")!

        VStack {
            // Old style - opens in Safari
            Link(destination: website) {
                Text("Open in Safari")
            }

            // New style - opens in-app (iOS 26+)
            Button("Open In-App") {
                openURL(website, prefersInApp: true)
            }
            .buttonStyle(.borderedProminent)
        }
    }
}

Key difference

• Default Link opens in Safari app
• openURL(url, prefersInApp: true) opens in SFSafariViewController-style in-app browser
• Keeps users in your app
• Preserves navigation flow

Button Roles (.close and .confirm)

System-styled close and confirm buttons

struct ModalView: View {
    @State private var showSheet = false

    var body: some View {
        Button("Show Sheet") {
            showSheet.toggle()
        }
        .sheet(isPresented: $showSheet) {
            NavigationStack {
                VStack {}
                    .navigationTitle("Info")
                    .toolbar {
                        ToolbarSpacer(.flexible, placement: .topBarTrailing)

                        ToolbarItem(placement: .topBarTrailing) {
                            Button(role: .close) {
                                showSheet = false
                            }
                        }
                    }
            }
            .presentationDetents([.medium])
        }
    }
}

Features

• Button(role: .close) renders as X icon with glass effect in toolbars
• Button(role: .confirm) provides system-styled confirmation button
• No custom label needed
• Consistent with system modals and sheets

Use cases

• Modal dismissal
• Sheet close buttons
• Confirmation dialogs
• Native-looking dismiss actions

GlassButtonStyle (iOS 26.1+)

Glass button variations

struct GlassButtonExample: View {
    var body: some View {
        ZStack {
            Image(.background)
                .resizable()
                .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fill)
                .ignoresSafeArea()

            VStack(spacing: 16) {
                Button("Clear Glass") {}
                    .buttonStyle(GlassButtonStyle(.clear))

                Button("Regular Glass") {}
                    .buttonStyle(GlassButtonStyle(.glass))

                Button("Tinted Glass") {}
                    .buttonStyle(GlassButtonStyle(.tint))
                    .tint(.blue)
            }
            .fontWeight(.bold)
            .foregroundStyle(.white)
            .buttonSizing(.flexible)
            .font(.title)
            .padding()
        }
    }
}

Variants

• .clear — Transparent glass effect
• .glass — Standard glass appearance
• .tint — Colored glass (use with .tint() modifier)

Requires iOS 26.1+ (not available in initial iOS 26.0 release)

buttonSizing

Control button layout behavior

struct ButtonLayoutExample: View {
    var body: some View {
        VStack(spacing: 16) {
            Button("Fit Content") {}
                .buttonSizing(.fit)
            // Button shrinks to label size

            Button("Stretch Full Width") {}
                .buttonSizing(.stretch)
            // Button expands to fill available space

            Button("Flexible") {}
                .buttonSizing(.flexible)
            // Balanced between fit and stretch
        }
        .padding()
    }
}

Options

• .fit — Button fits label size
• .stretch — Button fills available width
• .flexible — Balanced sizing (context-dependent)

Works with

• Plain text buttons
• Custom labels (icon + text, HStack/VStack)
• All button styles

searchToolbarBehavior

Foundational search APIs For the .searchable modifier, placement options, and search suggestions that .searchToolbarBehavior builds upon, see axiom-swiftui-search-ref.

Compact search that expands on focus

struct SearchView: View {
    @State private var searchText = ""

    var body: some View {
        NavigationStack {
            List {
                Text("User 1")
                Text("User 2")
                Text("User 3")
            }
            .navigationTitle("Search Users")
            .searchable(text: $searchText)
            .searchToolbarBehavior(.minimize)
            .toolbar {
                ToolbarSpacer(.flexible, placement: .bottomBar)
                DefaultToolbarItem(kind: .search, placement: .bottomBar)
            }
        }
    }
}

SearchToolbarBehavior options:

• .minimize — Search field compact (button-like) when unfocused, expands on tap
• .automatic — System default behavior (full search field)

Behavior

• Similar to Tab Bar search pattern
• Saves toolbar space
• Cleaner UI when search not in use

Use cases

• List/content-heavy screens
• Crowded navigation bars
• Tab bar style search on regular screens

Backward-compatible wrapper for apps targeting iOS 18+26:

extension View {
    @ViewBuilder func minimizedSearch() -> some View {
        if #available(iOS 26.0, *) {
            self.searchToolbarBehavior(.minimize)
        } else { self }
    }
}

// Usage
.searchable(text: $searchText)
.minimizedSearch()

searchPresentationToolbarBehavior (iOS 17.1+)

Prevent title hiding during search

.searchable(text: $searchText)
.searchPresentationToolbarBehavior(.avoidHidingContent)

Behavior

• By default, navigation title hides when search becomes active
• .avoidHidingContent keeps title visible during search
• Maintains context while searching

Note This modifier was introduced in iOS 17.1, not iOS 26, but complements the new searchToolbarBehavior modifier.

iPad Enhancements

Menu Bar

Access common actions via swipe-down menu

.commands {
    TextEditingCommands() // Same API as macOS menu bar

    CommandGroup(after: .newItem) {
        Button("Add Note") {
            addNote()
        }
        .keyboardShortcut("n", modifiers: [.command, .shift])
    }
}
// Creates menu bar on iPad when people swipe down

Resizable Windows

Fluid resizing on iPad

// MIGRATION REQUIRED:
// Remove deprecated property list key in iPadOS 26:
// UIRequiresFullscreen (entire key deprecated, all values)

// For split view navigation, system automatically shows/hides columns
// based on available space during resize
NavigationSplitView {
    Sidebar()
} detail: {
    Detail()
}
// Adapts to resizing automatically

Reference "Elevate the design of your iPad app" (WWDC 2025)

macOS Window Enhancements

Synchronized Window Resize Animations

.windowResizeAnchor(.topLeading) // Tailor where animation originates

// SwiftUI now synchronizes animation between content view size changes
// and window resizing - great for preserving continuity when switching tabs

Performance Improvements

List Performance (macOS Focus)

Massive gains for large lists

• 6x faster loading for lists of 100,000+ items on macOS
• 16x faster updates for large lists
• Even bigger gains for larger lists
• Improvements benefit all platforms (iOS, iPadOS, watchOS)

List(trips) { trip in // 100k+ items
    TripRow(trip: trip)
}
// Loads 6x faster, updates 16x faster on macOS (iOS 26+)

Scrolling Performance

Reduced dropped frames

SwiftUI has improved scheduling of user interface updates on iOS and macOS. This improves responsiveness and lets SwiftUI do even more work to prepare for upcoming frames. All in all, it reduces the chance of your app dropping a frame while scrolling quickly at high frame rates.

Nested ScrollViews with Lazy Stacks

Photo carousels and multi-axis scrolling

ScrollView(.horizontal) {
    LazyHStack {
        ForEach(photoSets) { photoSet in
            ScrollView(.vertical) {
                LazyVStack {
                    ForEach(photoSet.photos) { photo in
                        PhotoView(photo: photo)
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
// Nested scrollviews now properly delay loading with lazy stacks
// Great for building photo carousels

SwiftUI Performance Instrument

New profiling tool in Xcode

Available lanes:

• Long view body updates — Identify expensive body computations
• Platform view updates — Track UIKit/AppKit bridging performance
• Other performance problem areas

Reference "Optimize SwiftUI performance with instruments" (WWDC 2025)

Cross-reference SwiftUI Performance — Master the SwiftUI Instrument

Swift Concurrency Integration

Compile-Time Data Race Safety

@Observable
class TripStore {
    var trips: [Trip] = []

    func loadTrips() async {
        trips = await TripService.fetchTrips()
        // Swift 6 verifies data race safety at compile time
    }
}

Benefits Find bugs in concurrent code before they affect your app

References

• "Embracing Swift concurrency" (WWDC 2025)
• "Explore concurrency in SwiftUI" (WWDC 2025)

Cross-reference Swift Concurrency — Swift 6 strict concurrency patterns

@Animatable Macro

Overview

Simplifies custom animations by automatically synthesizing animatableData property.

Before (@Animatable macro)

struct HikingRouteShape: Shape {
    var startPoint: CGPoint
    var endPoint: CGPoint
    var elevation: Double
    var drawingDirection: Bool // Don't want to animate this

    // Tedious manual animatableData declaration
    var animatableData: AnimatablePair<CGPoint.AnimatableData,
                        AnimatablePair<Double, CGPoint.AnimatableData>> {
        get {
            AnimatablePair(startPo

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