DEV Community

Wesley de Groot
Wesley de Groot

Posted on • Originally published at wesleydegroot.nl on

TipKit

Let's delve into the fascinating world of TipKit , a powerful framework that empowers developers to create and customize app tips.

Whether you're aiming to introduce new features, reveal hidden functionalities, or enhance user productivity, TipKit has got you covered.

What Is TipKit?

TipKit is a framework designed by Apple that enables you to seamlessly integrate contextual tips into your app.

These tips serve as educational moments, guiding users toward discovering features they might not have stumbled upon organically.

With TipKit, you can:

  1. Customize Appearance : Tailor the look and feel of your tips to match your app's design.
  2. Define Content : Craft engaging messages that highlight specific features or provide useful information.
  3. Control Eligibility : Specify conditions for when tips should appear, ensuring they reach the right audience at the right time.

Creating Your First Tip

Let's dive into creating a simple tip using SwiftUI.

Imagine we want to highlight the "Save as a Favorite" feature in our app.

Here's how you can do it:

import SwiftUI
import TipKit

// Define your tip's content
struct TipKitTip: Tip {
    var title: Text {
        Text("Title")
    }
    var message: Text? {
        Text("Message")
    }
    var image: Image? {
        Image(systemName: "star")
    }
}

struct ContentView: View {
    // Create an instance of your tip
    var tipKitTip = TipKitTip()

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            // Place the tip view near the feature you want to highlight
            TipView(tipKitTip, arrowEdge: .bottom)
            Image(systemName: "star")
                .imageScale(.large)
            Spacer()
        }
        .task {
            // Configure and load your tips at app launch
            try? Tips.configure([
                .displayFrequency(.immediate),
                .datastoreLocation(.applicationDefault)
            ])
        }
    }
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Download the sample code for Swift Playgrounds

Best Practices for Using Tips

  • Be Selective : Use tips sparingly to highlight non-obvious features. Avoid overwhelming users with too many tips.
  • Avoid Overuse : Don't display tips every time someone uses your app. They can become distracting.
  • No Guided Tours : Tips are not meant for guiding users through your app step-by-step.
  • Effective Targeting : Use eligibility rules and display frequency to ensure tips reach the right audience.

Remember, TipKit is a powerful tool, but like any tool, it's most effective when used thoughtfully.

Resources:

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/TipKit

Image of Timescale

🚀 pgai Vectorizer: SQLAlchemy and LiteLLM Make Vector Search Simple

We built pgai Vectorizer to simplify embedding management for AI applications—without needing a separate database or complex infrastructure. Since launch, developers have created over 3,000 vectorizers on Timescale Cloud, with many more self-hosted.

Read full post →

Top comments (0)

Image of Timescale

Timescale – the developer's data platform for modern apps, built on PostgreSQL

Timescale Cloud is PostgreSQL optimized for speed, scale, and performance. Over 3 million IoT, AI, crypto, and dev tool apps are powered by Timescale. Try it free today! No credit card required.

Try free

👋 Kindness is contagious

Please leave a ❤️ or a friendly comment on this post if you found it helpful!

Okay