what's new in UIKit in iOS 18

In iOS 18, UIKit has introduced several new features and improvements. Here are some of the key updates:

1. Document Launch Experience: There's a redesigned launch experience for document-based apps, allowing them to showcase their distinctive identity with full control over launch views and design. This includes first-class support for template document creation.

2. Tab Bars and Sidebars: Major updates have been made to tabs and sidebars. UIKit now has new APIs to better describe your app hierarchy to UITabBarController, allowing for more integrated appearances and automatic adjustments when toolbar items overflow.

3. Fluid Transitions: New fluid transitions have been introduced across the system, enhancing the sense of continuity in your app by keeping the same UI elements on screen during transitions.

4. SwiftUI and UIKit Interoperability: iOS 18 enhances the interoperability between SwiftUI and UIKit. You can now use SwiftUI animation types to animate UIKit views, and existing UIKit gesture recognizers can be added directly to SwiftUI hierarchies using the new UIJsRecognizerRepresentable protocol.

5. UIUpdateLink: A new feature in iOS 18, UIUpdateLink, makes it easier to implement complex animations that require periodic UI updates, offering features like automatic view tracking and low latency mode for drawing applications.

For more detailed information, you can refer to the session What’s new in UIKit (00:00:07).