focus-engine

Focus Engine

Focus behavior for SwiftUI and UIKit apps targeting iOS 26+, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS. Covers keyboard focus, directional focus, scene-focused values, focus restoration, and UIKit focus guides. focusSection() guidance in this skill applies to macOS and tvOS. Accessibility-specific focus for VoiceOver and Switch Control lives in the ios-accessibility skill.

Contents

• SwiftUI FocusState
• Default Focus
• Focused Values and Scene Values
• Focusable Interactions
• Focus Sections
• Focus Restoration
• UIKit Focus Guides
• Common Mistakes
• Review Checklist
• References

SwiftUI FocusState

Use @FocusState to read and write focus placement inside a scene. Use Bool for a single target or an optional Hashable enum for multiple targets.

struct LoginView: View {
    enum Field: Hashable { case email, password }

    @State private var email = ""
    @State private var password = ""
    @FocusState private var focusedField: Field?

    var body: some View {
        Form {
            TextField("Email", text: $email)
                .focused($focusedField, equals: .email)

            SecureField("Password", text: $password)
                .focused($focusedField, equals: .password)
        }
        .onAppear { focusedField = .email }
        .onSubmit {
            switch focusedField {
            case .email: focusedField = .password
            case .password, nil: submit()
            }
        }
    }
}

Keep focus state local to the view that owns the focusable controls.

Default Focus

Use .defaultFocus to set the preferred initial focus region or control when a view appears or when focus is reassigned automatically.

struct SidebarView: View {
    enum Target: Hashable { case library, settings }
    @FocusState private var focusedTarget: Target?

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            Button("Library") { }
                .focused($focusedTarget, equals: .library)

            Button("Settings") { }
                .focused($focusedTarget, equals: .settings)
        }
        .defaultFocus($focusedTarget, .library)
    }
}

Prefer one clear default destination per screen or focus region.

Focused Values and Scene Values

Use focused values to expose state from the currently focused view. Use scene-focused values when commands or scene-wide UI should keep access to the value even after focus moves within that scene.

struct SelectedRecipeKey: FocusedValueKey {
    typealias Value = Binding<Recipe>
}

extension FocusedValues {
    var selectedRecipe: Binding<Recipe>? {
        get { self[SelectedRecipeKey.self] }
        set { self[SelectedRecipeKey.self] = newValue }
    }
}

struct RecipeDetailView: View {
    @Binding var recipe: Recipe

    var body: some View {
        Text(recipe.title)
            .focusedSceneValue(\.selectedRecipe, $recipe)
    }
}

Use this pattern for menus, commands, and toolbars that need to act on the focused scene's current content.

Focusable Interactions

Use .focusable(_:interactions:) on custom SwiftUI views that should participate in keyboard or directional focus.

struct SelectableCard: View {
    let title: String
    let action: () -> Void
    @FocusState private var isFocused: Bool

    var body: some View {
        Button(action: action) {
            RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 12)
                .fill(isFocused ? Color.accentColor.opacity(0.15) : .clear)
                .overlay { Text(title) }
        }
        .buttonStyle(.plain)
        .focusable(interactions: .activate)
        .focused($isFocused)
    }
}

Use .activate for button-like controls. Reserve broader interactions for views that genuinely need editing or multiple focus-driven behaviors.

Focus Sections

Use focusSection() on macOS 13+ and tvOS 15+ to guide directional movement across groups of focusable descendants in uneven layouts.

struct TVLibraryView: View {
    var body: some View {
        HStack {
            VStack {
                Button("Recent") { }
                Button("Favorites") { }
                Button("Downloaded") { }
            }
            .focusSection()

            VStack {
                Button("Featured") { }
                Button("Top Picks") { }
                Button("Continue Watching") { }
            }
            .focusSection()
        }
    }
}

Use focus sections on macOS and tvOS when default left/right or up/down movement skips the intended group.

Focus Restoration

After dismissing a sheet, popover, or transient overlay, return focus to a stable trigger or logical next target.

struct FiltersView: View {
    @State private var showSheet = false
    @FocusState private var isFilterButtonFocused: Bool

    var body: some View {
        Button("Filters") { showSheet = true }
            .focused($isFilterButtonFocused)
            .sheet(isPresented: $showSheet) {
                FilterEditor()
                    .onDisappear {
                        Task { @MainActor in
                            isFilterButtonFocused = true
                        }
                    }
            }
    }
}

Restore focus intentionally whenever presentation changes would otherwise leave users disoriented.

UIKit Focus Guides

Use UIFocusGuide when UIKit or tvOS layouts need custom routing across empty space or awkward geometry.

final class DashboardViewController: UIViewController {
    private let focusGuide = UIFocusGuide()
    @IBOutlet private weak var leadingButton: UIButton!
    @IBOutlet private weak var trailingButton: UIButton!

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        view.addLayoutGuide(focusGuide)
        focusGuide.preferredFocusEnvironments = [trailingButton]

        NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
            focusGuide.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: leadingButton.trailingAnchor),
            focusGuide.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: trailingButton.leadingAnchor),
            focusGuide.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: leadingButton.topAnchor),
            focusGuide.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: leadingButton.bottomAnchor)
        ])
    }
}

UIFocusGuide is invisible and not a view. Use it to redirect focus without adding decorative UI.

Common Mistakes

1. Mixing accessibility focus and keyboard or directional focus in the same mental model.
2. Storing @FocusState in shared models instead of the owning view.
3. Setting multiple competing default focus targets on one screen.
4. Using .focusable() on decorative views.
5. Forgetting focus restoration after sheets, popovers, or custom overlays.
6. Reaching for UIFocusGuide before trying focusSection() on macOS or tvOS, or better layout grouping in SwiftUI.
7. Using gesture handlers for primary actions on custom focusable controls instead of a semantic Button when possible.

Review Checklist

• @FocusState is local to the view that owns the controls
• Initial focus target is explicit when the screen needs one
• Focus movement between fields or groups is deterministic
• focusedSceneValue or related focused-value APIs are used when commands need current scene state
• Custom controls opt into focus only when they are truly interactive
• focusSection() is used for uneven directional layouts on macOS or tvOS before dropping to UIKit
• Focus returns to a stable element after temporary presentations dismiss
• UIFocusGuide geometry and preferred destinations match the intended route
• Accessibility focus concerns are handled in ios-accessibility, not mixed into keyboard-directional focus logic

References

• Detailed patterns: references/focus-patterns.md
• Multi-platform focus (tvOS, watchOS, visionOS, macOS): references/multi-platform-focus.md
• Focus debugging and anti-patterns: references/focus-debugging.md