People may glance at the Touch Bar to locate or use a control, but their primary focus is the main screen. Although the Touch Bar is a screen, its primary function is to serve as an input device - not a secondary display. Use the Touch Bar as an extension of the keyboard and trackpad, not as a display. Then, consider how you can expose varying levels of functionality based on how your app is used. Identify the different contexts within your app. Make the Touch Bar relevant to the current context on the main screen. Keep the following guidance in mind as you design your app’s Touch Bar interfaces. In Touch Bar (1st generation), an Esc button or other system-provided button may appear to the left of the app region, depending on the context. You can place app-specific controls in the app region to the left of the Control Strip. On devices that include the Touch Bar (2nd generation), a physical Esc (Escape) key appears to the left of the Touch Bar.īy default, the right side of the Touch Bar displays an expandable region called the Control Strip that includes controls for performing system-level tasks such as invoking Siri, adjusting the brightness of the main display, and changing the volume. For developer guidance, see NSTouchBar and Xcode Help.Ī Touch ID sensor to the right of the Touch Bar supports fingerprint authentication for logging into the computer and approving App Store and Apple Pay purchases. The following guidelines can help you provide a Touch Bar experience that people appreciate. Or when viewing a location on a map, the Touch Bar could offer quick, one-tap access to nearby points of interest. For example, when people type text in a document, the Touch Bar could include controls for adjusting the font style and size. The Touch Bar is a Retina display and input device located above the keyboard on supported MacBook Pro models.ĭynamic controls in the Touch Bar let people interact with content on the main screen and offer quick access to system-level and app-specific functionality based on the current context.

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