What are intents

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. These intents are part of the App Intents framework and are used to create shortcuts, automate tasks, and integrate with system features like Siri and Spotlight.

Here are some key points about intents:

1. Definition and Structure:

   • An intent consists of a summary of what it does, starting with the app followed by a verb, and includes parameters that need to be filled out before the intent is run (Design App Intents for system experiences).
   • Intents should be meaningful actions that users can perform with the app, such as opening a specific view or starting a task (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).

2. Types of Intents:

   • Intents can be simple actions like opening a camera to a specific mode or more complex tasks that involve multiple steps (Design App Intents for system experiences).
   • They can also be combined with other intents into shortcuts to create powerful new workflows (Design App Intents for system experiences).

3. Design and Flexibility:

   • When designing intents, it's important to prioritize common and habitual functionality but also ensure that the intents are flexible and not brittle (Design App Intents for system experiences).
   • Avoid creating multiple intents for the same task; instead, use parameters to make the intent flexible (Design App Intents for system experiences).

4. Integration with System Features:

   • Intents can be used to support live activities, audio playback, or recording from the background, enhancing the app's integration with system features (Design App Intents for system experiences).
   • They can also be used to create app shortcuts, which package together a verb and a noun to describe an important function of the app (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).

5. Implementation:

   • Intents are implemented by conforming to the App Intent protocol, which requires a localizable title and a perform method that executes the action (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).
   • They can also include parameters for additional information needed to perform the task (Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents).

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