---
title: Introduction to Uniform Type Identifiers Overview
framework: filemanagement
role: article
path: apple-archive/documentation/FileManagement/Conceptual/understanding_utis/understand_utis_intro
---

# Introduction to Uniform Type Identifiers Overview

Describes uniform type identifiers and how to use them.

## Who Should Read This Document?

This document is for OS X and iOS application developers that need to create or otherwise manipulate data that may be exchanged with other applications or services. For example, applications often need to be aware of the type of data they handle when:

- Displaying, or manipulating, files, bundles, or folders - Accessing streaming data - Copying and pasting between documents or applications - Dragging and dropping between applications

Support for uniform type identifiers is available in OS X v10.3 and later and iOS 3.0 and later.

## Organization of This Document

This document is organized into the following chapters:

- [Uniform Type Identifier Concepts](../understand_utis_conc/understand_utis_conc.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001319-CH202-CHDHIJDE) describes the syntax and usage of UTIs. - [Adopting Uniform Type Identifiers](../understand_utis.tasks/understand_utis_tasks.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001319-CH203-BABHCIAC) describes how to adopt UTIs in your applications. - [Declaring New Uniform Type Identifiers](../understand_utis_declare/understand_utis_declare.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001319-CH204-SW1) describes how to declare new UTIs in your applications.

## See Also

*[UTType Reference](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/mobilecoreservices/uttype)* describes the functions used to manipulate UTIs.

*[Uniform Type Identifiers Reference](../../../../Miscellaneous/Reference/UTIRef/Introduction/Introduction.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40009257)* provides a description of known UTIs.

[Next](../understand_utis_conc/understand_utis_conc.html)

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