AppKit

Windows, menus and everything that makes a Mac app feel like a Mac app.

Read the documentation WWDC sessions

Introduced

2001

Mac OS X 10.0

Kind

Framework

Runs on

Get it from

iOS

iPadOS

Mac Catalyst

13.0+

macOS

10.0+

tvOS

visionOS

watchOS

Overview

AppKit is the Mac's native UI framework, with roots going back to NeXTSTEP. Windows, menus, the toolbar, the responder chain, document-based apps: it's all here.

SwiftUI covers more of the Mac every year, but AppKit is where you go for full control, and the two mix freely.

NSWindow

Windows, panels, tabs and full screen, with fine-grained control.

Menus and toolbars

The menu bar, contextual menus and customizable toolbars Mac users expect.

NSDocument

Open, save, autosave, versions and iCloud for document-based apps.

NSHostingView

Embed SwiftUI views inside an AppKit window.

AppDelegate.swift

import AppKit

class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
    var window: NSWindow!

    func applicationDidFinishLaunching(_ notification: Notification) {
        window = NSWindow(
            contentRect: NSRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 480, height: 300),
            styleMask: [.titled, .closable, .resizable],
            backing: .buffered,
            defer: false
        )
        window.title = "Hello, AppKit"
        window.center()
        window.makeKeyAndOrderFront(nil)
    }
}

History