How to open a new window

Paul Hudson @twostraws December 1st 2022

Updated for Xcode 14.2

SwiftUI provides an openWindow environment key that allows us to create new windows on macOS whenever we need them.

To get started, first edit your App scene to include a new Window. This means providing a window title, but also an identifier – a name we’ll use when asking the system to open this window:

Window("What's New", id: "whats-new") {
    Text("New in this version…")
}

That can be the only scene in your app body, or it can live alongside other windows or window groups. If it is the only window in your app, macOS will automatically remove the File > New menu item, and your app will automatically terminate when the last window is closed.

Tip: If you add an explicit navigationTitle() to your window contents, that will override any window title string.

When you want to open that window, call the openWindow environment key with the same ID value, like this:

struct ContentView: View {
    @Environment(\.openWindow) var openWindow

    var body: some View {
        Button("Show What's New") {
            openWindow(id: "whats-new")
        }
    }
}

The window can also be opened by going to the Window menu – macOS will automatically show it there, using the window title you provided.