What about app intents

App Intents are a powerful way to surface your app's functionality to the system, allowing users to interact with your app's features outside of the app itself. Here are some key points about App Intents from the WWDC sessions:

1. Definition and Structure:

   • An App Intent consists of a summary of what it does, starting with the app followed by a verb, and includes the parameters needed to run the intent. This structure allows for flexible and readable configurations (Design App Intents for system experiences).

2. Guidance on Creating App Intents:

   • Previously, App Intents were meant for the most habitual tasks in your app. In iOS 18, this guidance has expanded to include any functionality your app offers. However, it's important to balance between a rich set of flexible intents and avoiding unclear or brittle ones (Design App Intents for system experiences).
   • Avoid creating multiple intents for the same task. Instead, structure your app's functionality into a flexible intent where parameters can be adjusted (Design App Intents for system experiences).

3. Integration with System Features:

   • App Intents can be used with various system features like Siri, Spotlight, and Shortcuts. They allow users to perform tasks from the background, such as live activities, audio playback, or recording (Design App Intents for system experiences).
   • App Intents can also open your app to show changes made by the intent, providing a seamless user experience (Design App Intents for system experiences).

4. Design Considerations:

   • Ensure that the parameter summaries are always readable as a sentence, regardless of the selected parameters. This helps users understand what the intent does when exploring in the Shortcuts drawer (Design App Intents for system experiences).

5. Framework and Implementation:

   • App Intents serve as a common foundation for building features that integrate with system functionalities like Siri, Spotlight, and Shortcuts. They allow you to define your app's core actions and content in a way that the system can understand (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).

For more detailed guidance, you can watch the full sessions:

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