Agent skill
toolbars
Modern SwiftUI toolbar patterns including customizable toolbars, search integration, transition effects, and platform-specific behavior. Use when implementing or customizing toolbars in SwiftUI.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/rshankras/claude-code-apple-skills/tree/main/skills/swiftui/toolbars
SKILL.md
SwiftUI Toolbars
Modern toolbar patterns for SwiftUI apps. Covers customizable toolbars, enhanced search integration, new placements, transition effects, and platform-specific considerations.
When This Skill Activates
Use this skill when the user:
- Wants to add or customize toolbars
- Asks about customizable/user-configurable toolbars
- Needs search field in toolbar with specific placement
- Wants toolbar item transitions or animations
- Asks about toolbar placements (bottomBar, largeSubtitle, etc.)
- Needs platform-specific toolbar behavior (iOS vs macOS)
- Wants to reposition system toolbar items (search, sidebar)
Decision Tree
What toolbar feature do you need?
|
+- User-customizable toolbar (add/remove/reorder items)
| +- Use .toolbar(id:) with ToolbarItem(id:)
|
+- Search field in toolbar
| +- Minimize to button -> .searchToolbarBehavior(.minimize)
| +- Reposition search -> DefaultToolbarItem(kind: .search, placement:)
|
+- Toolbar transition/animation
| +- Zoom transition from toolbar item -> .matchedTransitionSource(id:in:)
| +- Hide glass background -> .sharedBackgroundVisibility(.hidden)
|
+- Custom subtitle area content
| +- Use ToolbarItem(placement: .largeSubtitle)
|
+- System toolbar items with custom placement
| +- DefaultToolbarItem(kind: .search/.sidebar, placement:)
API Availability
| API | Minimum Version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
.toolbar { } |
iOS 14 | Basic toolbar |
ToolbarItem(placement:) |
iOS 14 | Standard placements |
.toolbar(id:) |
iOS 16 | Customizable toolbars |
ToolbarItem(id:) |
iOS 16 | Items in customizable toolbars |
ToolbarSpacer |
iOS 16 | Fixed and flexible spacers |
.searchable() |
iOS 15 | Search integration |
.searchToolbarBehavior(.minimize) |
iOS 17 | Minimized search button |
DefaultToolbarItem(kind:placement:) |
iOS 18 | Reposition system items |
ToolbarItem(placement: .largeSubtitle) |
iOS 18 | Subtitle area content |
.matchedTransitionSource(id:in:) |
iOS 18 | Toolbar transition source |
.sharedBackgroundVisibility() |
iOS 18 | Glass background control |
Customizable Toolbars
Allow users to personalize toolbar items by adding, removing, and rearranging:
ContentView()
.toolbar(id: "main-toolbar") {
ToolbarItem(id: "tag") {
TagButton()
}
ToolbarItem(id: "share") {
ShareButton()
}
ToolbarSpacer(.fixed)
ToolbarItem(id: "more") {
MoreButton()
}
}
Toolbar Spacers
ToolbarSpacer(.fixed) // Fixed-width space
ToolbarSpacer(.flexible) // Flexible space — pushes items apart
Anti-Patterns
// ❌ Missing IDs in customizable toolbar — items can't be customized
.toolbar(id: "main") {
ToolbarItem { // No id parameter
ShareButton()
}
}
// ✅ Every item needs its own ID
.toolbar(id: "main") {
ToolbarItem(id: "share") {
ShareButton()
}
}
Enhanced Search Integration
Minimized Search
Renders search field as a compact button that expands on tap:
@State private var searchText = ""
NavigationStack {
RecipeList()
.searchable(text: $searchText)
.searchToolbarBehavior(.minimize)
}
Repositioning Search
Move the default search field to a different toolbar position:
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()
}
}
}
System-Defined Toolbar Items
Reposition system items with custom placements:
.toolbar {
DefaultToolbarItem(kind: .search, placement: .bottomBar)
DefaultToolbarItem(kind: .sidebar, placement: .navigationBarLeading)
}
Large Subtitle Placement
Place custom content in the navigation bar subtitle area:
NavigationStack {
DetailView()
.navigationTitle("Title")
.navigationSubtitle("Subtitle")
.toolbar {
ToolbarItem(placement: .largeSubtitle) {
CustomLargeNavigationSubtitle()
}
}
}
The .largeSubtitle placement takes precedence over the value provided to navigationSubtitle(_:).
Transition Effects
Matched Transition from Toolbar
Create zoom transitions originating from a toolbar button:
struct ContentView: View {
@State private var isPresented = false
@Namespace private var namespace
var body: some View {
NavigationStack {
DetailView()
.toolbar {
ToolbarItem(placement: .topBarTrailing) {
Button("Show Sheet", systemImage: "globe") {
isPresented = true
}
}
.matchedTransitionSource(id: "world", in: namespace)
}
.sheet(isPresented: $isPresented) {
SheetView()
.navigationTransition(
.zoom(sourceID: "world", in: namespace))
}
}
}
}
Glass Background Control
Control the shared glass background on toolbar items:
ContentView()
.toolbar(id: "main") {
ToolbarItem(id: "build-status", placement: .principal) {
BuildStatus()
}
.sharedBackgroundVisibility(.hidden)
}
Top 5 Mistakes
| # | Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missing id on ToolbarItem in customizable toolbar |
Every item in .toolbar(id:) must have its own id parameter |
| 2 | Using .searchToolbarBehavior(.minimize) without .searchable() |
Must pair with .searchable() modifier — .minimize only affects rendering |
| 3 | Putting .matchedTransitionSource on the Button instead of ToolbarItem |
Apply .matchedTransitionSource(id:in:) on the ToolbarItem, not its content |
| 4 | Using .largeSubtitle alongside .navigationSubtitle() expecting both to show |
.largeSubtitle takes precedence — the subtitle modifier value is hidden |
| 5 | Forgetting placement: on DefaultToolbarItem |
Without explicit placement, system items use their default position |
Platform Considerations
| Platform | Recommendations |
|---|---|
| iOS | Bottom bar useful on iPhones. Use .searchToolbarBehavior(.minimize) for space efficiency. |
| iPadOS | Customizable toolbars valuable in productivity apps. Consider keyboard shortcuts. |
| macOS | Users expect toolbar customization. Use spacers for logical groupings. |
Review Checklist
Customizable Toolbars
-
.toolbar(id:)has a unique, stable string identifier - Every
ToolbarItemwithin has its own uniqueid - Spacers used to create logical groups of related items
- Toolbar tested with customization panel (long-press on iPadOS, right-click on macOS)
Search Integration
-
.searchable()paired with appropriate.searchToolbarBehavior() - Search placement makes sense for the platform (bottom bar on iOS, toolbar on macOS)
-
DefaultToolbarItem(kind: .search)used when repositioning is needed
Transitions
-
.matchedTransitionSourceapplied toToolbarItem, not its content view - Namespace declared with
@Namespaceat the view level - Source ID matches between
.matchedTransitionSourceand.navigationTransition(.zoom)
Platform
- Toolbar layouts tested on both iOS and macOS (if multiplatform)
- Bottom bar items appropriate for small screens
- Customizable toolbars provided for complex macOS apps
References
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