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