How to use UIStepper to let users change number values

Swift version: 5.0

Paul Hudson    @twostraws    May 28th 2019

UIStepper is one of those controls that doesn’t get used often, which is a shame – it’s trivial to add, and helps users select a value more accurately than a UISlider.

Here’s some code to help you try it out:

let stepper = UIStepper()
stepper.minimumValue = 0
stepper.maximumValue = 10
stepper.value = 5

That tells iOS to let the stepper move from 0 to 10 (inclusive), starting at 0. By default the autorepeat property of steppers is set to true, which means the user can press and hold to increment values rather than tapping repeatedly.

Next, add some code to position your stepper where you want it. This places it at the top of the safe area, aligned to the center:

stepper.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
view.addSubview(stepper)

stepper.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.topAnchor).isActive = true
stepper.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.centerXAnchor).isActive = true

Finally, connect an @objc method to the valueChanged event like this:

stepper.addTarget(self, action: #selector(stepperChanged), for: .valueChanged)

Available from iOS 5.0

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