Native mobile Interaktion

iOS & Android Design Guidelines

Balance a cohesive cross-platform product identity with the native interaction conventions users expect on iOS and Android.

Shared Logic vs Platform Conventions

• Preserve shared product logic: Keep core domain terminology, business rules, user journeys, information hierarchy, and brand visual identity consistent across platforms.
• Adapt platform-native interactions: Respect platform conventions where users have ingrained muscle memory (back navigation, sheet behaviour, pickers, system dialogs, permission prompts, share sheets, and system settings links).
• Justify custom patterns: Only deviate from native platform conventions when the custom interaction delivers a clear usability advantage that outweighs its learning cost.

iOS Conventions (Human Interface Guidelines)

• Navigation & hierarchy: Bottom tab bars for top-level destinations; standard navigation bars with large-title-to-inline transitions where appropriate; interactive leading-edge swipe-back gesture.
• Modality: Pull-down dismissible sheets with optional detents (medium/large) and grabber indicators; explicit Cancel and Done/Save actions when edits require confirmation.
• Controls & pickers: Native-style wheel or compact inline date/time pickers, segmented controls for closely related views (2–4 segments), and context menus on long press with visible primary action alternatives.
• Safe areas: Respect Dynamic Island / notch top insets and the bottom Home Indicator area.

Android Conventions (Material Design)

• Navigation & back handling: Bottom navigation bar (3–5 destinations), top app bars, and full support for the system predictive back gesture across screens, sheets, and dialogs.
• Modality & actions: Modal bottom sheets, standard Material dialogs, snackbars anchored above bottom navigation or FABs, and Floating Action Buttons (FAB) only when a single primary creation action dominates the screen.
• Edge-to-edge layout: Design for edge-to-edge rendering with proper status bar and gesture/3-button navigation bar insets.

Documenting Platform Divergences

• Whenever a flow or component differs between iOS and Android, document both variants side by side so the mobile developer does not have to guess how to adapt the design.