what are intents?
Asked on 2024-07-30
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Intents in the context of Apple's WWDC sessions refer to specific actions or tasks that an app can perform, which can be exposed to the system and other apps. They are a core part of the App Intents framework, which allows apps to integrate more deeply with system features like Siri, Shortcuts, and other automation tools.
Here are some key points about intents:
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Definition and Structure:
- An intent consists of a summary of what it does, starting with the app followed by a verb, and includes the parameters that people need to fill out before the intent is run (Design App Intents for system experiences).
- Intents should be actions that are meaningful to someone who uses the app, and they appear by default as actions in the Shortcuts app (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).
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Types and Usage:
- Intents can be combined with other intents into shortcuts to create powerful new flows (Design App Intents for system experiences).
- They should be designed to be flexible and readable across many configurations and use cases (Design App Intents for system experiences).
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Parameters and Flexibility:
- Intents can have parameters, which are extra pieces of information needed to perform the action. These parameters should be structured to maintain readability and flexibility (Design App Intents for system experiences).
- Avoid creating multiple intents for the same task; instead, use parameters to handle variations (Design App Intents for system experiences).
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Integration with System Features:
- Intents can be used to perform actions in the background, such as live activities, audio playback, or recording (Design App Intents for system experiences).
- They can also be used to open the app directly to a specific view or task, providing a seamless user experience (Design App Intents for system experiences).
For more detailed information, you can refer to the sessions:
Bring your app to Siri
Learn how to use App Intents to expose your app’s functionality to Siri. Understand which intents are already available for your use, and how to create custom intents to integrate actions from your app into the system. We’ll also cover what metadata to provide, making your entities searchable via Spotlight, annotating onscreen references, and much more.
Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents
Learn the principles of the App Intents framework, like intents, entities, and queries, and how you can harness them to expose your app’s most important functionality right where people need it most. Find out how to build deep integration between your app and the many system features built on top of App Intents, including Siri, controls and widgets, Apple Pencil, Shortcuts, the Action button, and more. Get tips on how to build your App Intents integrations efficiently to create the best experiences in every surface while still sharing code and core functionality.
Design App Intents for system experiences
App Intents power system experiences in controls, Spotlight, Siri, and more. Find out how to identify the functionality that’s best for App Intents, and how to use parameters to make these intents flexible. Learn how to use App Intents to allow people to take action outside your app, and see examples of when to navigate into your app to show contextual information.