Extensions & Widgets API Reference

Overview

This skill provides comprehensive API reference for Apple's widget and extension ecosystem:

• Standard Widgets (iOS 14+) — Home Screen, Lock Screen, StandBy widgets
• Interactive Widgets (iOS 17+) — Buttons and toggles with App Intents
• Live Activities (iOS 16.1+) — Real-time updates on Lock Screen and Dynamic Island
• Control Center Widgets (iOS 18+) — System-wide quick controls
• App Extensions — Shared data, lifecycle, entitlements

What are widgets?: Widgets are SwiftUI views that display timely, relevant information from your app. Unlike live app views, widgets are archived snapshots rendered on a timeline and displayed by the system.

What are extensions?: App extensions are separate executables bundled with your app that run in sandboxed environments with limited resources and capabilities.

When to Use This Skill