Popover with UIKit on iOS

Learn how to show Popovers on iOS with this practical guide, detailed step-by-step examples, and best practices for easy implementation

Popovers are a convenient way to display additional information or functionality in your iOS app without taking up too much screen space. In this guide, we’ll explore how to implement popovers in your iOS app using Swift, step by step.

When to use Popovers?

Popovers were introduced in iOS 8 as a way to present content in a transient, non-modal fashion. They are commonly used in iPad apps but can also enhance the user experience in iPhone apps. Popovers are ideal for displaying contextual information, options, or settings related to the current context or user interaction.

Implementing Popovers

Before we delve into the implementation details, it’s worth noting that popovers were introduced in iOS 8 as part of Apple’s ongoing efforts to enhance view controller management. For a deeper understanding of popover presentations and other advancements in view controllers introduced in iOS 8, I highly recommend watching the official Apple session WWDC 2014 session 214 “View Controller Advancement in iOS 8” (36:30).