app-intents

App Intents (iOS 26+)

Implement, review, and extend App Intents to expose app functionality to Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight, widgets, Control Center, and Apple Intelligence.

Contents

• Triage Workflow
• AppIntent Protocol
• @Parameter
• AppEntity
• EntityQuery (4 Variants)
• AppEnum
• AppShortcutsProvider
• System Surface Integration
• iOS 26 Additions
• Common Mistakes
• Review Checklist
• References

Triage Workflow

Step 1: Choose the action, boundary, and surface

Start from 1-3 valuable actions people want outside the app, not from its screen hierarchy. Record one design row per action: user goal; inline result or app destination; shared domain operation; parameters and entity query; confirmation/authentication; target surface and protocol. Use one explicit runtime route for app handoff instead of scattering navigation side effects through intents.

Then choose the system feature and protocol that fit that action:

Surface	Protocol	Since
Siri / Shortcuts	AppIntent	iOS 16
Configurable widget	WidgetConfigurationIntent	iOS 17
Control Center	ControlConfigurationIntent	iOS 18
Spotlight search	IndexedEntity	iOS 18
Apple Intelligence	@AppIntent(schema:)	iOS 18
Interactive snippets	SnippetIntent	iOS 26
Visual Intelligence	IntentValueQuery	iOS 26

Step 2: Define the data model

• Prefer AppEntity shadow models for app data exposed to the system.
• Create AppEnum types for fixed parameter choices.
• Choose the right EntityQuery variant for resolution.
• Mark searchable entities with IndexedEntity and indexingKey metadata.

Step 3: Implement the intent

• Conform to AppIntent (or a specialized sub-protocol).
• Declare @Parameter properties for all user-facing inputs.
• Implement perform() async throws -> some IntentResult.
• Add parameterSummary for Shortcuts UI.
• Register phrases via AppShortcutsProvider.

Step 4: Verify

• Build and run in the target system surface to confirm discovery, parameter resolution, cancellation, confirmation, authentication, result rendering, and app handoff.
• If a step fails, reset the fixture, fix the smallest intent/entity/query boundary, and rerun the same action from the same surface before adding another action.
• Test Siri phrases with the intent preview in Xcode.
• Confirm IndexedEntity instances are indexed in a named Spotlight index.
• Check widget configuration for WidgetConfigurationIntent intents.

AppIntent Protocol

The system instantiates the struct via init(), sets parameters, then calls perform(). Declare a title and parameterSummary for Shortcuts UI.

struct OrderSoupIntent: AppIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Order Soup"
    static var description = IntentDescription("Place a soup order.")

    @Parameter(title: "Soup") var soup: SoupEntity
    @Parameter(title: "Quantity", default: 1) var quantity: Int

    static var parameterSummary: some ParameterSummary {
        Summary("Order \(\.$soup)") { \.$quantity }
    }

    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult {
        try await OrderService.shared.place(soup: soup.id, quantity: quantity)
        return .result(dialog: "Ordered \(quantity) \(soup.name).")
    }
}

Optional members: description (IntentDescription), openAppWhenRun (Bool), isDiscoverable (Bool), authenticationPolicy (IntentAuthenticationPolicy).

@Parameter

Declare each user-facing input with @Parameter. Non-optional parameters are required; the system requests values when needed. Defaults pre-fill a useful value. Optional parameters are not requested automatically, so ask for them in perform() when the intent cannot continue without a value.

// Required; the system asks for a value when needed
@Parameter(title: "Count")
var count: Int

// Required and pre-filled
@Parameter(title: "Count", default: 1)
var count: Int

// Optional; request it yourself if it becomes necessary
@Parameter(title: "Count")
var count: Int?

Supported value types

Primitives: Bool, Int, Double, String, Duration, Date, Decimal, Measurement, and URL. Collections: Array and Set of supported element types. Framework: IntentPerson, IntentFile. Custom: any AppEntity or AppEnum.

Common initializer patterns

// Basic
@Parameter(title: "Name")
var name: String

// With default
@Parameter(title: "Count", default: 5)
var count: Int

// Numeric slider
@Parameter(title: "Volume", controlStyle: .slider, inclusiveRange: (0, 100))
var volume: Int

// Options provider (dynamic list)
@Parameter(title: "Category", optionsProvider: CategoryOptionsProvider())
var category: Category

// File with content types
@Parameter(title: "Document", supportedContentTypes: [.pdf, .plainText])
var document: IntentFile

// Measurement with unit
@Parameter(title: "Distance", defaultUnit: .miles, supportsNegativeNumbers: false)
var distance: Measurement<UnitLength>

See references/appintents-advanced.md for all initializer variants.

AppEntity

Prefer shadow models that mirror app data and expose only system-facing fields. Direct model conformance is allowed when the model is lightweight, stable, and appropriate for App Intents lifecycles.

struct SoupEntity: AppEntity {
    static let defaultQuery = SoupEntityQuery()
    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Soup"
    var id: String

    @Property(title: "Name") var name: String
    @Property(title: "Price") var price: Double

    var displayRepresentation: DisplayRepresentation {
        DisplayRepresentation(title: "\(name)", subtitle: "$\(String(format: "%.2f", price))")
    }

    init(from soup: Soup) {
        self.id = soup.id; self.name = soup.name; self.price = soup.price
    }
}

Required: id, defaultQuery (static), displayRepresentation, typeDisplayRepresentation (static). Mark properties with @Property(title:) to expose for filtering/sorting. Properties without @Property remain internal.

EntityQuery (4 Variants)

1. EntityQuery (base -- resolve by ID)

struct SoupEntityQuery: EntityQuery {
    func entities(for identifiers: [String]) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.soups.filter { identifiers.contains($0.id) }.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
    func suggestedEntities() async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.featured.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
}

2. EntityStringQuery (free-text search)

struct SoupStringQuery: EntityStringQuery {
    func entities(matching string: String) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.search(string).map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
    func entities(for identifiers: [String]) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.soups.filter { identifiers.contains($0.id) }.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
}

3. EnumerableEntityQuery (finite set)

struct AllSoupsQuery: EnumerableEntityQuery {
    func allEntities() async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.allSoups.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
    func entities(for identifiers: [String]) async throws -> [SoupEntity] {
        SoupStore.shared.soups.filter { identifiers.contains($0.id) }.map { SoupEntity(from: $0) }
    }
}

4. UniqueAppEntityQuery (singleton, iOS 18+)

Use for single-instance entities like app settings.

struct AppSettingsEntity: UniqueAppEntity {
    static let defaultQuery = AppSettingsQuery()
    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Settings"
    var displayRepresentation: DisplayRepresentation { "App Settings" }

    var id: String { "app-settings" }
}

struct AppSettingsQuery: UniqueAppEntityQuery {
    func uniqueEntity() async throws -> AppSettingsEntity {
        AppSettingsEntity()
    }
}

See references/appintents-advanced.md for EntityPropertyQuery with filter/sort support.

When one parameter determines another parameter's valid entity choices, use @IntentParameterDependency in the query or options provider. The advanced reference covers the nil-upstream case and intentional defaults.

AppEnum

Define fixed sets of selectable values. RawValue must conform to LosslessStringConvertible; prefer String raw values for readable, stable identifiers.

enum SoupSize: String, AppEnum {
    case small, medium, large

    static var typeDisplayRepresentation: TypeDisplayRepresentation = "Size"

    static var caseDisplayRepresentations: [SoupSize: DisplayRepresentation] = [
        .small: "Small",
        .medium: "Medium",
        .large: "Large"
    ]
}

// Valid, but less readable in saved shortcuts and URL representations
enum Priority: Int, AppEnum {
    case low = 1, medium = 2, high = 3
}

// Preferred
enum Priority: String, AppEnum {
    case low, medium, high
    // ...
}

AppShortcutsProvider

Register pre-built shortcuts that appear in Siri and the Shortcuts app without user configuration.

struct MyAppShortcuts: AppShortcutsProvider {
    static var appShortcuts: [AppShortcut] {
        AppShortcut(
            intent: OrderSoupIntent(),
            phrases: [
                "Order \(\.$soup) in \(.applicationName)",
                "Get soup from \(.applicationName)"
            ],
            shortTitle: "Order Soup",
            systemImageName: "cup.and.saucer"
        )
    }

    static var shortcutTileColor: ShortcutTileColor = .navy
}

Phrase rules

• Every phrase MUST include \(.applicationName).
• Phrases can reference parameters: \(\.$soup).
• Call updateAppShortcutParameters() when dynamic option values change.
• Use negativePhrases to prevent false Siri activations.

System Surface Integration

Read references/system-surfaces.md when implementing Siri donation/prediction, interactive widgets, Control Center configuration/action separation, or Spotlight IndexedEntity indexing.

iOS 26 Additions

SnippetIntent

Display interactive snippets in system UI:

struct OrderStatusSnippet: SnippetIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Order Status"
    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult & ShowsSnippetView {
        let status = await OrderTracker.currentStatus()
        return .result(view: OrderStatusSnippetView(status: status))
    }
}

struct CheckOrderStatusIntent: AppIntent {
    static var title: LocalizedStringResource = "Check Order Status"
    func perform() async throws -> some IntentResult & ShowsSnippetIntent {
        .result(snippetIntent: OrderStatusSnippet())
    }
}

The system may call perform() multiple times, including after snippet button or toggle actions; keep SnippetIntent.perform() side-effect-free and do mutations in the calling action intent or a separate button/toggle action. A snippet-only intent is not discoverable in Shortcuts or Spotlight unless isDiscoverable is true.

IntentValueQuery (Visual Intelligence)

@available(iOS 26, *)
@UnionValue
enum ShoppingVisualResult {
    case product(ProductEntity)
    case store(StoreEntity)
}

@available(iOS 26, *)
struct ShoppingVisualQuery: IntentValueQuery {
    func values(for input: SemanticContentDescriptor) async throws -> [ShoppingVisualResult] {
        try Task.checkCancellation()
        async let productMatches = ProductStore.shared.matches(
            labels: input.labels,
            pixelBuffer: input.pixelBuffer,
            limit: 5
        )
        async let storeMatches = StoreStore.shared.matches(
            labels: input.labels,
            pixelBuffer: input.pixelBuffer,
            limit: 3
        )
        let ranked = await rank(productMatches, storeMatches)
        return Array(ranked.prefix(8))
    }
}

Only one IntentValueQuery can take SemanticContentDescriptor; use @UnionValue when one query must return multiple app entity types. Treat labels as high-level English descriptors, not exhaustive synonyms or app taxonomy; combine them with pixelBuffer when available. Return small, ranked, cancellation-friendly results, and provide an OpenIntent, URL representation, or in-app search handoff for details and more results. Do not implement camera capture, Vision VN* requests, barcode classification, or Spotlight indexing inside the App Intents query; call an existing bounded app search or image-match service instead, with explicit result caps and timeouts when work may exceed a system UI budget.

Common Mistakes

1. Exposing too much app model state through AppEntity. Prefer dedicated shadow models with stable persistent IDs and only system-facing properties.

2. Missing \(.applicationName) in phrases. Every AppShortcut phrase MUST include the application name token. Siri uses it for disambiguation.

3. Treating optional @Parameter as required. Optional parameters are not requested automatically; call requestValue / needsValueError when the intent cannot proceed without one.

   // Optional, so request it yourself if needed
   @Parameter(title: "Count")
   var count: Int?
   

4. Using unstable AppEnum raw values. Int is valid, but String raw values are usually clearer for persistence and URL representations.

5. Forgetting suggestedEntities(). Without it, the Shortcuts picker shows no defaults.

6. Throwing for missing entities in entities(for:). Omit missing entities instead.

7. Stale Spotlight index. Re-index entities with a named CSSearchableIndex.

8. Missing typeDisplayRepresentation. Both AppEntity and AppEnum require it.

9. Using deprecated @Assistant* schema macros. Use @AppIntent(schema:), @AppEntity(schema:), and @AppEnum(schema:).

10. Blocking or side-effecting perform(). Use await for I/O; keep SnippetIntent.perform() side-effect-free because the system may rerun it.

11. Mutating sensitive state from system surfaces without a guard. Use confirmation and/or authentication for actions such as door locks, lights, purchases, and deletes.

Review Checklist

• Every AppIntent has a descriptive title (verb + noun, title case)
• Required @Parameter values are non-optional; optional values are requested when needed
• AppEntity types expose stable IDs and only system-facing properties
• AppEntity has displayRepresentation and typeDisplayRepresentation
• EntityQuery.entities(for:) omits missing IDs; suggestedEntities() implemented
• Dependent options use @IntentParameterDependency; defaultResult() is present only when a genuinely useful default exists
• AppEnum prefers stable String raw values with caseDisplayRepresentations
• AppShortcutsProvider phrases include \(.applicationName); parameterSummary defined
• IndexedEntity properties use key-path indexingKey values and entities are indexed
• Control Center intents conform to ControlConfigurationIntent; widget intents to WidgetConfigurationIntent; no-default control parameters are optional
• Sensitive App Intents request confirmation and/or authentication before mutating state
• Visual Intelligence IntentValueQuery uses SemanticContentDescriptor, bounded results, opening paths, and iOS 26 availability
• No deprecated @AssistantIntent / @AssistantEntity / @AssistantEnum schema macros
• perform() uses async/await (no blocking); runs in expected isolation context; intent types are Sendable

References

• Read references/system-surfaces.md for Siri, widgets, Control Center, and Spotlight integration patterns.
• See references/appintents-advanced.md for @Parameter variants, EntityPropertyQuery, assistant schemas, focus filters, SiriKit migration, error handling, confirmation flows, authentication, URL-representable types, and Spotlight indexing details.