What are App Intents?

App Intents are a framework that allows you to expose your app's core features and functionality to the system, enabling them to be used outside of your app. This includes integration with system features like Siri, Spotlight, Shortcuts, and more. Here are some key points about App Intents:

1. Definition and Purpose:

   • App Intents are not a feature in themselves but a common foundation for building features that can be accessed outside your app (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).
   • They consist of a summary of what they do, starting with the app followed by a verb, and include the parameters needed to run the intent (Design App Intents for system experiences).

2. Functionality:

   • App Intents can be combined with other intents into shortcuts to create powerful new flows (Design App Intents for system experiences).
   • They allow users to perform actions from your app directly from Spotlight, Siri, widgets, and Control Center (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).

3. Design and Structure:

   • Previously, app intents were meant for the most habitual tasks in your app. Now, anything your app does can be an app intent (Design App Intents for system experiences).
   • It's important to structure your app's functionality into flexible intents and avoid making several different intents for the same task (Design App Intents for system experiences).

4. Implementation:

   • App Intents handle the communication between your app and system features, allowing you to focus on implementing the actual behavior of your features (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).
   • They should be designed to be flexible and readable across many configurations and use cases (Design App Intents for system experiences).

For more detailed guidance on designing and implementing App Intents, you can refer to the sessions:

• Design App Intents for system experiences
• Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents