SwiftUI Accessibility Patterns Reference

Table of Contents

• Core Principle
• Dynamic Type and @ScaledMetric
• Accessibility Traits
• Decorative Images
• Element Grouping
• Custom Controls
• Summary Checklist

Core Principle

Prefer Button over onTapGesture for tappable elements. Button provides VoiceOver support, focus handling, and proper traits for free.

Dynamic Type and @ScaledMetric

System text styles scale with Dynamic Type automatically. Prefer built-in styles like .largeTitle, .title, .title2, .title3, .headline, .subheadline, .body, .callout, .footnote, .caption, and .caption2 when they fit your UI:

VStack(alignment: .leading) {
    Text("Inbox")
        .font(.title2)
    Text("3 unread messages")
        .font(.body)
    Text("Updated just now")
        .font(.caption)
}

For custom fonts, use a Dynamic Type-aware font initializer so the text still follows the user's preferred content size:

VStack(alignment: .leading) {
    Text("Article")
        .font(.custom("SourceSerif4-Semibold", size: 28, relativeTo: .title2))
    Text("Body copy")
        .font(.custom("SourceSerif4-Regular", size: 17))
}

Font.custom(_:size:relativeTo:) lets you match a specific text style. Font.custom(_:size:) scales relative to the body style. Avoid fixed-size custom fonts for primary content that should respond to Dynamic Type.

For non-text numeric values like padding, spacing, and image sizes, use @ScaledMetric:

struct ProfileHeader: View {
    @ScaledMetric private var avatarSize = 60.0
    @ScaledMetric private var spacing = 12.0

    var body: some View {
        HStack(spacing: spacing) {
            Image("avatar")
                .resizable()
                .frame(width: avatarSize, height: avatarSize)
            Text("Username")
        }
    }
}

Specify a relativeTo text style when the value should track a specific Dynamic Type style, including for images or icons that should stay proportional to nearby text:

struct StatusRow: View {
    @ScaledMetric(relativeTo: .body) private var iconSize = 18.0

    var body: some View {
        HStack(spacing: 8) {
            Image(systemName: "checkmark.circle.fill")
                .font(.system(size: iconSize))
            Text("Synced")
                .font(.custom("AvenirNext-Regular", size: 17, relativeTo: .body))
        }
    }
}

Accessibility Traits

Use accessibilityAddTraits and accessibilityRemoveTraits for state-driven traits:

Text(item.title)
    .accessibilityAddTraits(item.isSelected ? [.isSelected, .isButton] : .isButton)

Use .disabled(true) to make VoiceOver announce "Dimmed" for non-interactive elements.

Decorative Images

Use Image(decorative:bundle:) when an asset image is purely visual and should not appear in the accessibility tree.

Image(decorative: "confetti")

This is appropriate for backgrounds, flourishes, and icons that do not add meaning beyond nearby text.

If the image conveys information, keep it accessible and provide a clear label:

Image("receipt")
    .accessibilityLabel("Receipt")

For non-asset images, such as SF Symbols, hide decorative content with accessibilityHidden(true) instead:

Image(systemName: "sparkles")
    .accessibilityHidden(true)

Element Grouping

.combine -- Auto-join child labels

HStack {
    Image(systemName: "star.fill")
    Text("Favorites")
    Text("(\(count))")
}
.accessibilityElement(children: .combine)

VoiceOver reads all child labels as one element, separated by commas.

.ignore -- Manual label for container

HStack {
    Text(item.name)
    Spacer()
    Text(item.price)
}
.accessibilityElement(children: .ignore)
.accessibilityLabel("\(item.name), \(item.price)")

.contain -- Semantic grouping

HStack {
    ForEach(tabs) { tab in
        TabButton(tab: tab)
    }
}
.accessibilityElement(children: .contain)
.accessibilityLabel("Tab bar")

VoiceOver announces the container name when focus enters/exits.

Custom Controls

Adjustable controls (increment/decrement)

PageControl(selectedIndex: $selectedIndex, pageCount: pageCount)
    .accessibilityElement()
    .accessibilityValue("Page \(selectedIndex + 1) of \(pageCount)")
    .accessibilityAdjustableAction { direction in
        switch direction {
        case .increment:
            guard selectedIndex < pageCount - 1 else { break }
            selectedIndex += 1
        case .decrement:
            guard selectedIndex > 0 else { break }
            selectedIndex -= 1
        @unknown default:
            break
        }
    }

Representing custom views as native controls

When a custom view should behave like a native control for accessibility:

HStack {
    Text(label)
    Toggle("", isOn: $isOn)
}
.accessibilityRepresentation {
    Toggle(label, isOn: $isOn)
}

Label-content pairing

@Namespace private var ns

HStack {
    Text("Volume")
        .accessibilityLabeledPair(role: .label, id: "volume", in: ns)
    Slider(value: $volume)
        .accessibilityLabeledPair(role: .content, id: "volume", in: ns)
}

Summary Checklist

• [ ] Use Button instead of onTapGesture for tappable elements
• [ ] Use built-in text styles or Dynamic Type-aware custom fonts for text
• [ ] Use @ScaledMetric for custom values that should scale with Dynamic Type
• [ ] Mark purely decorative images as decorative or hidden from accessibility
• [ ] Group related elements with accessibilityElement(children:)
• [ ] Provide accessibilityLabel when default labels are unclear
• [ ] Use accessibilityRepresentation for custom controls
• [ ] Use accessibilityAdjustableAction for increment/decrement controls
• [ ] Ensure navigation flow is logical when using VoiceOver grouping