---
title: "Create high quality images using Image Playground"
description: "Use ImagePlayground.framework to present Apple's image creation UI, seed it with app context, configure style and size, and handle availability."
shoutout: "Unofficial, made with love by Superwall - the best way to monetize your apps."
category: "AI & Machine Learning"
---

# Create high quality images using Image Playground


[Watch on Apple Developer](https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2026/375/)

Use ImagePlayground.framework to present Apple's image creation UI, seed it with app context, configure style and size, and handle availability.

## TL;DR

- Image Playground now uses higher-quality generative models on Private Cloud Compute, supporting many styles including photorealistic, multiple aspect ratios, people, and personalization.
- Adoption is UI-driven: SwiftUI uses `.imagePlaygroundSheet`, while UIKit/AppKit use `ImagePlaygroundViewController`; `ImageCreator` is deprecated.
- Seed generation with `ImagePlaygroundConcept` values from text, extracted long-form content, source images, or PencilKit drawings, then save the temporary result URL your app receives.
- Configure `ImagePlaygroundOptions` for size and personalization, constrain or default styles with `imagePlaygroundGenerationStyle`, and gate UI with `supportsImageGeneration`.

## What Image Playground provides

ImagePlayground.framework brings the Image Playground creation experience into iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS apps on devices with Apple Intelligence support. The experience includes prompt entry, style selection, people/personalization features, previewing, and user confirmation.

The model can generate images from short or detailed descriptions, include one or more people, use preset or text-described styles, and target landscape, portrait, or square use cases. Generation runs on Private Cloud Compute; Apple handles the server-side model infrastructure and user usage limits.

- Supports high-quality images in many styles, including photorealistic results.
- Preset styles discussed include animation, illustration, sketch, and emoji/Genmoji-oriented output.
- The requested size is mapped to the closest supported resolution and aspect ratio.
- `ImageCreator`, the previous non-UI image generation API, is deprecated in favor of the new Image Playground experience.

## Present the Image Playground UI

In SwiftUI, adoption starts with the `.imagePlaygroundSheet` view modifier. The sheet is controlled by a binding and calls a completion handler with a file URL when the user accepts a generated image.

The returned URL points to a temporary location inside the app container, so apps should copy or persist the generated image before the session ends. Image Playground owns the UI, model interaction, style picker, and preview flow.

- No SDK initialization, API keys, server endpoints, or entitlements are described for basic adoption.
- The sheet can start empty or be prefilled with app-provided context.
- UIKit and AppKit apps can present `ImagePlaygroundViewController` and receive the result through its delegate.

### SwiftUI sheet adoption

Attach `.imagePlaygroundSheet` to a view, toggle presentation with state, and save the generated temporary file URL in the completion handler.

```swift
@State private var showingPlayground = false

var body: some View {
    Button("Create image") {
        showingPlayground = true
    }
    .imagePlaygroundSheet(
        isPresented: $showingPlayground,
        onCompletion: { url in
            var updated = currentCard
            store.saveImage(url, for: &updated)
        }
    )
}
```

### UIKit/AppKit presentation

Use `ImagePlaygroundViewController` for UIKit or AppKit-style integration and handle generated image URLs through the delegate.

```swift
func presentViewController() {
    let viewController = ImagePlaygroundViewController()
    viewController.concepts = [
        .text(card.theme),
        .extracted(from: card.message)
    ]
    viewController.delegate = self
    present(viewController, animated: true)
}

func imagePlaygroundViewController(
    _ viewController: ImagePlaygroundViewController,
    didCreateImageAt url: URL
) {
    var updated = card
    store.saveImage(url, for: &updated)
    dismiss(animated: true)
}
```

## Seed generation with app context

`ImagePlaygroundConcept` lets an app prime the sheet with relevant information so the user does not start from a blank prompt. Direct text can represent a concise theme, while extracted text lets the system pull the most relevant concepts from longer content such as a message.

The sheet can also take a SwiftUI `Image` as a source image and can include a `PKDrawing` from PencilKit as a visual suggestion. These inputs guide the composition but do not lock the result; users can replace or refine them in the sheet.

- Use `.text(...)` for direct descriptions such as a card theme.
- Use `.extracted(from:title:)` or `.extracted(from:)` for longer prose where the system should infer useful concepts.
- Pass `sourceImage:` to provide a reference photo or existing image.
- Append `.drawing(PKDrawing)` to concepts when strokes should guide generation.

### Text and extracted concepts

Seed the prompt with both an explicit theme and concepts extracted from longer app content.

```swift
var concepts: [ImagePlaygroundConcept] {
    [
        .text(card.theme),
        .extracted(from: card.message, title: card.theme)
    ]
}

var body: some View {
    Button("Create image") {
        showingPlayground = true
    }
    .imagePlaygroundSheet(
        isPresented: $showingPlayground,
        concepts: concepts,
        onCompletion: { url in
            var updated = card
            store.saveImage(url, for: &updated)
        }
    )
}
```

### PencilKit drawing as a concept

Include a non-empty `PKDrawing` so the model can use the user's strokes as visual guidance.

```swift
@State private var drawing = PKDrawing()

var concepts: [ImagePlaygroundConcept] {
    var result: [ImagePlaygroundConcept] = [
        .text(card.theme),
        .extracted(from: card.message)
    ]

    if !drawing.strokes.isEmpty {
        result.append(.drawing(drawing))
    }

    return result
}
```

## Configure size, style, external providers, and personalization

`ImagePlaygroundOptions` configures sheet behavior such as size and personalization. For size, the app can request the closest supported output to a `CGSize`, allowing the same code path to adapt to landscape cards, portrait cards, square thumbnails, banners, or wallpapers.

Generation style can be defaulted and constrained. Passing a single allowed style locks the picker to that style; passing multiple styles lets the picker reflect the current app context. The `externalProvider` style is opt-in and surfaces a third-party provider the user has configured in Settings, such as ChatGPT, with setup handled by the system when needed.

- Use `options.sizeSpecification = .closest(to: size)` to request the nearest supported aspect ratio and resolution.
- Use `.imagePlaygroundGenerationStyle(defaultStyle, in: allowedStyles)` to control the default and allowed style set.
- Use `.externalProvider` only by adding it to the allowed styles list.
- Set `options.personalization = .disabled` when people-based personalization does not fit the app context.

### Size and style configuration

Request an output size derived from app state, provide options to the sheet, and allow app-specific styles plus an external provider.

```swift
var options: ImagePlaygroundOptions {
    var options = ImagePlaygroundOptions()
    options.sizeSpecification = .closest(to: card.format.size)
    return options
}

var body: some View {
    Button("Create image") {
        showingPlayground = true
    }
    .imagePlaygroundSheet(
        isPresented: $showingPlayground,
        concepts: concepts,
        onCompletion: { url in
            var updated = card
            store.saveImage(url, for: &updated)
        }
    )
    .imagePlaygroundOptions(options)
    .imagePlaygroundGenerationStyle(
        pendingStylePreset.defaultStyle,
        in: pendingStylePreset.allowedStyles + [.externalProvider]
    )
}
```

### Disable personalization

Remove people picker and name-detection features when personalization is not appropriate.

```swift
var options: ImagePlaygroundOptions {
    var options = ImagePlaygroundOptions()
    options.sizeSpecification = .closest(to: card.format.size)
    options.personalization = .disabled
    return options
}
```

## Emoji-style output and availability fallback

When `ImagePlaygroundStyle.emoji` is active, the sheet can call `onAdaptiveImageGlyphCreation` with an `NSAdaptiveImageGlyph` instead of returning a generated image URL. Adaptive image glyphs can be embedded inline with text, like emoji, which makes them useful for small expressive icons such as recipient thumbnails.

Apps should use the `supportsImageGeneration` environment value to decide whether to show the full Image Playground path or a fallback. It is true only when image generation is fully available: device capability, supported language and region, and the user's Settings state are all satisfied.

- Use `.emoji` when the output should be an adaptive glyph rather than regular artwork.
- Save the `NSAdaptiveImageGlyph` through the glyph-specific completion path.
- Provide a non-generation fallback, such as a Photos picker, when `supportsImageGeneration` is false.
- Do not build custom usage-limit UI; the system manages Image Playground usage limits for users.

### Create an adaptive image glyph

Lock the sheet to emoji style and handle `NSAdaptiveImageGlyph` output for inline expressive icons.

```swift
@State private var showingIconPlayground = false

var body: some View {
    Button("Create icon") {
        showingIconPlayground = true
    }

    Color.clear
        .imagePlaygroundSheet(
            isPresented: $showingIconPlayground,
            concepts: concepts,
            onCompletion: { _ in },
            onAdaptiveImageGlyphCreation: { glyph in
                var updatedCard = card
                store.saveIcon(glyph, for: &updatedCard)
            }
        )
        .imagePlaygroundGenerationStyle(.emoji, in: [.emoji])
}
```

### Check image generation support

Branch to the Image Playground experience only when image generation is fully available, otherwise show a fallback UI.

```swift
@Environment(\.supportsImageGeneration) private var supportsImageGeneration

var body: some View {
    NavigationLink(card.recipient) {
        if supportsImageGeneration {
            CardEditorView(card: card)
        } else {
            CardPickerView(card: card)
        }
    }
}
```

## Related Sessions

- [Build with the new Apple Foundation Model on Private Cloud Compute](https://wwdc.ai/2026/319)
- [Read between the strokes with PencilKit](https://wwdc.ai/2026/203)
- [Bring expression to your app with Genmoji](https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2024/10220)

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