---
title: "init(systemName:)"
framework: uikit
role: symbol
role_heading: Initializer
path: "uikit/uiimage/init(systemname:)"
---

# init(systemName:)

Creates an image object that contains a system symbol image.

## Declaration

```swift
init?(systemName name: String)
```

## Parameters

- `name`: The name of the system symbol image.

## Mentioned in

Configuring and displaying symbol images in your UI

## Return Value

Return Value The object containing the specified symbol image, or nil if no suitable image was found.

## Discussion

Discussion Use this method to retrieve system-defined symbol images. To retrieve a custom symbol image you store in an asset catalog, use the init(named:) method instead. This method checks the system caches for an image with the name you specify and returns the variant of that image that’s best suited for the main screen. If a matching image object isn’t in the cache, this method creates the image from the specified system symbol image. The system may purge cached image data at any time to free up memory. Purging occurs only for unused images that are in the cache. To look up the names of system symbol images, download the SF Symbols app from Apple Design Resources.

## See Also

### Loading and caching images

- [Providing images for different appearances](uikit/providing-images-for-different-appearances.md)
- [Configuring and displaying symbol images in your UI](uikit/configuring-and-displaying-symbol-images-in-your-ui.md)
- [Creating custom symbol images for your app](uikit/creating-custom-symbol-images-for-your-app.md)
- [init(named:in:compatibleWith:)](uikit/uiimage/init(named:in:compatiblewith:).md)
- [init(named:in:with:)](uikit/uiimage/init(named:in:with:).md)
- [init(named:in:variableValue:configuration:)](uikit/uiimage/init(named:in:variablevalue:configuration:).md)
- [init(named:)](uikit/uiimage/init(named:).md)
- [init(imageLiteralResourceName:)](uikit/uiimage/init(imageliteralresourcename:).md)
- [init(systemName:withConfiguration:)](uikit/uiimage/init(systemname:withconfiguration:).md)
- [init(systemName:variableValue:configuration:)](uikit/uiimage/init(systemname:variablevalue:configuration:).md)
- [init(systemName:compatibleWith:)](uikit/uiimage/init(systemname:compatiblewith:).md)
- [init(resource:)](uikit/uiimage/init(resource:).md)
- [Building high-performance lists and collection views](uikit/building-high-performance-lists-and-collection-views.md)