SF Symbols Reference

An API reference for SF Symbols rendering modes, symbol effects, configuration options, and their UIKit/AppKit equivalents, from iOS 13 symbol display through iOS 26 Draw animations and gradient rendering.

When to Use This Reference

Use this reference when:

• You need exact API signatures for rendering modes or symbol effects
• You need UIKit/AppKit equivalents for SwiftUI symbol APIs
• You need platform availability for a specific effect or rendering mode
• You need configuration options (weight, scale, variable values)
• You need custom symbol template structure and Draw annotation details
• You want to verify a symbol name exists, or check one symbol's availability and supported rendering modes, without opening the SF Symbols app

Example Prompts

Questions you can ask your assistant that will draw from this reference:

• "What's the exact SwiftUI modifier for Hierarchical rendering?"
• "How do I add a Bounce effect in UIKit?"
• "Which symbol effects are available on iOS 17 vs iOS 18?"
• "How do I combine rendering mode with symbol effects?"
• "What's the UIKit equivalent of .contentTransition(.symbolEffect(.replace))?"
• "How do I create a custom symbol with Draw animation support?"
• "Is gauge.with.needle a real symbol name, and does it exist on iOS 16?"
• "Which rendering modes does this symbol actually support?"
• "How do I export a symbol to SVG or PNG from the command line?"

What's Covered

• Symbol display – SwiftUI, UIKit, and AppKit configuration APIs (weight, scale, variable value)
• Rendering modes – monochrome, hierarchical, palette, and multicolor, with SwiftUI and UIKit signatures
• Symbol effects – Bounce, Pulse, Variable Color, Scale, Wiggle, Rotate, Breathe, Appear, Disappear, and Replace, with SymbolEffectOptions and the effect protocols
• Draw and gradients (iOS 26) – Draw On, Draw Off, Variable Draw (symbolVariableValueMode(.draw)), gradient rendering (SymbolColorRenderingMode)
• UIKit reference – addSymbolEffect(), removeSymbolEffect(), setSymbolImage(), completion handlers, UIBarButtonItem effects
• Custom symbols – template structure, Draw annotation, weight interpolation, importing to Xcode
• Platform availability matrix – when each rendering mode and effect arrived on iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS
• The sfsymbols CLI – search and export; where the binary lives (inside the SF Symbols app, not in Xcode and not on your PATH); per-symbol, per-rendering-mode availability via --json; --min-platform deployment-target filtering; and why a zero-result search still exits 0
• Accessibility – labels, Reduce Motion, Bold Text, Dynamic Type
• Common patterns – notification badge, Wi-Fi strength, animated play/pause toggle, download progress, multi-state symbol with Draw

Documentation Scope

This page documents the sf-symbols-ref skill (in the axiom-design suite), the API lookup half of the SF Symbols pair. Decision trees, anti-patterns, and troubleshooting live in the sf-symbols skill listed under Related.

Related

• SF Symbols – Decision trees, anti-patterns, troubleshooting, and which effect to use when
• SwiftUI Animation – General animation reference (VectorArithmetic, @Animatable, springs)
• HIG Reference – Icon and symbol design guidelines
• Typography – SF Pro font that symbols are designed to match

Resources

WWDC: 2023-10257, 2023-10258, 2024-10188, 2025-337

Docs: /symbols, /symbols/symboleffect, /uikit/uiimage/symbolconfiguration