aradotso/progressive-blur-header-swiftui

ProgressiveBlurHeader SwiftUI Skill

Skill by ara.so — Daily 2026 Skills collection.

A drop-in SwiftUI package for sticky headers with progressive (variable-radius) blur — replicating the Apple Music, Photos, and App Store style where content scrolls underneath the header with increasing blur and tint. No clipping, no hard edges.

Installation

Swift Package Manager (Xcode)

File → Add Package Dependencies → paste:

https://github.com/dominikmartn/ProgressiveBlurHeader

Select branch: main

Package.swift

dependencies: [
    .package(url: "https://github.com/dominikmartn/ProgressiveBlurHeader", branch: "main"),
]

Then add to your target:

.target(
    name: "YourApp",
    dependencies: ["ProgressiveBlurHeader"]
)

Requirements: iOS 16+, Swift 5.9+

---

Core API

StickyBlurHeader

The primary component. Takes two ViewBuilder closures: header and content.

StickyBlurHeader(
    maxBlurRadius: Double,     // Default: 5
    fadeExtension: CGFloat,    // Default: 64
    tintOpacityTop: Double,    // Default: 0.7
    tintOpacityMiddle: Double  // Default: 0.5
) {
    // header view (NO opaque background)
} content: {
    // scrollable content
}

Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description | |-----------|------|---------|-------------| | maxBlurRadius | Double | 5 | Max blur at the top edge. 5 = subtle, 10 = moderate, 20 = strong | | fadeExtension | CGFloat | 64 | Points below the header the blur extends | | tintOpacityTop | Double | 0.7 | Tint behind Dynamic Island / status bar | | tintOpacityMiddle | Double | 0.5 | Tint at the header's vertical center |

The tint color adapts automatically to light/dark mode.

---

Basic Usage

import SwiftUI
import ProgressiveBlurHeader

struct ContentView: View {
    let items = (1...50).map { "Item \($0)" }

    var body: some View {
        StickyBlurHeader {
            // Header — NO opaque background
            HStack {
                Button("Back") { }
                Spacer()
                Text("Library").font(.headline)
                Spacer()
                Button("Settings") { }
            }
            .padding()
        } content: {
            ForEach(items, id: \.self) { item in
                Text(item)
                    .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading)
                    .padding()
                    .background(Color(.secondarySystemBackground))
                    .cornerRadius(8)
                    .padding(.horizontal)
            }
        }
        .background(Color(.systemBackground))
    }
}

---

Common Patterns

Navigation-Style Header with Back Button

import SwiftUI
import ProgressiveBlurHeader

struct AlbumDetailView: View {
    let albumTitle: String
    @Environment(\.dismiss) private var dismiss

    var body: some View {
        StickyBlurHeader(
            maxBlurRadius: 8,
            fadeExtension: 80,
            tintOpacityTop: 0.75,
            tintOpacityMiddle: 0.55
        ) {
            HStack {
                Button {
                    dismiss()
                } label: {
                    Image(systemName: "chevron.left")
                        .fontWeight(.semibold)
                }
                Spacer()
                Text(albumTitle)
                    .font(.headline)
                    .lineLimit(1)
                Spacer()
                Button {
                    // action
                } label: {
                    Image(systemName: "ellipsis.circle")
                }
            }
            .padding(.horizontal)
            .padding(.vertical, 12)
        } content: {
            LazyVStack(spacing: 0) {
                ForEach(0..<30) { index in
                    SongRow(index: index)
                    Divider().padding(.leading)
                }
            }
        }
        .background(Color(.systemBackground))
    }
}

Subtle Blur (Apple Photos Style)

StickyBlurHeader(
    maxBlurRadius: 5,
    fadeExtension: 56,
    tintOpacityTop: 0.6,
    tintOpacityMiddle: 0.4
) {
    HStack {
        Text("Photos")
            .font(.largeTitle)
            .fontWeight(.bold)
        Spacer()
        Button {
            // action
        } label: {
            Image(systemName: "plus")
        }
    }
    .padding(.horizontal)
    .padding(.top, 8)
    .padding(.bottom, 12)
} content: {
    LazyVGrid(columns: [GridItem(.adaptive(minimum: 100))], spacing: 2) {
        ForEach(photos) { photo in
            PhotoThumbnail(photo: photo)
        }
    }
    .padding(2)
}
.background(Color(.systemBackground))

Strong Blur (App Store Style)

StickyBlurHeader(
    maxBlurRadius: 12,
    fadeExtension: 72,
    tintOpacityTop: 0.85,
    tintOpacityMiddle: 0.6
) {
    VStack(spacing: 4) {
        HStack {
            Text("Today")
                .font(.largeTitle)
                .fontWeight(.bold)
            Spacer()
            Button {
                // profile action
            } label: {
                Image(systemName: "person.crop.circle.fill")
                    .font(.title2)
            }
        }
        HStack {
            Text(Date(), style: .date)
                .font(.subheadline)
                .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
                .textCase(.uppercase)
            Spacer()
        }
    }
    .padding(.horizontal)
    .padding(.vertical, 12)
} content: {
    LazyVStack(spacing: 16) {
        ForEach(featuredApps) { app in
            AppCard(app: app)
        }
    }
    .padding()
}
.background(Color(.systemBackground))

Dynamic Header (Height Changes)

Header height is measured automatically via GeometryReader + PreferenceKey — no manual sizing needed:

StickyBlurHeader {
    VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 4) {
        Text("Title").font(.headline)
        if showsSubtitle {
            Text("Subtitle").font(.subheadline).foregroundStyle(.secondary)
        }
    }
    .padding()
    // Header auto-adjusts when showsSubtitle toggles
} content: {
    contentList
}
.background(Color(.systemBackground))

---

Architecture

The component uses a three-layer ZStack:

| Layer | Component | Purpose | |-------|-----------|---------| | Back | ScrollView | Content scrolls freely, never clipped | | Middle | VariableBlurView + gradient | Progressive blur + adaptive tint | | Front | Your header view | Floats above blur, transparent background |

The blur engine is VariableBlur by nikstar, which uses the same private API Apple uses internally. It is App Store approved.

---

Critical Rules

❌ Never add an opaque background to the header

// WRONG — hides the blur effect
StickyBlurHeader {
    Text("Header")
        .background(Color.white) // ❌ Breaks the blur
}

// CORRECT — no background on header views
StickyBlurHeader {
    Text("Header") // ✅ Transparent, blur shows through
}

❌ Never clip the content hierarchy

// WRONG
StickyBlurHeader { ... } content: {
    VStack { ... }
        .clipped() // ❌ Content becomes invisible under header
}

// CORRECT — let content remain visible under blur
StickyBlurHeader { ... } content: {
    VStack { ... } // ✅ No clipping
}

✅ Always set a background on the outer container

StickyBlurHeader { ... } content: { ... }
    .background(Color(.systemBackground)) // ✅ Required for tint to work correctly

---

Troubleshooting

Blur not visible / header looks opaque

• Remove any .background(...) modifier from your header view
• Ensure no parent view adds a background before StickyBlurHeader

Content disappears under header

• Remove any .clipped() from the content or its ancestors
• Do not wrap content in a ScrollView — StickyBlurHeader provides its own

Header height is wrong

• Do not set explicit heights on the header; let it size naturally
• GeometryReader measures the header automatically

Tint color looks wrong in dark mode

• The tint adapts automatically; ensure .background(Color(.systemBackground)) is set on the outer view so the adaptive color has a reference

Build error: "No such module 'ProgressiveBlurHeader'"

• Confirm the package is added in Xcode under Package Dependencies
• Clean build folder: Product → Clean Build Folder (⇧⌘K)
• Check the target membership of the package in your app target

iOS version compatibility

• Minimum deployment target must be iOS 16.0 or higher
• Set in Xcode: Target → General → Minimum Deployments

---

iOS 26 Comparison

iOS 26 adds .safeAreaBar(edge: .top) — a native one-liner for sticky blur bars. Use ProgressiveBlurHeader when you need:

• Custom blur radius
• Adjustable tint intensity
• Extended fade below the header
• iOS 16–25 support