Figma 2026.2 introduces Context Layers and on-device generative components

Design · 5 min read

Context Layers are a new surface that stores accessibility info, rationale, and localized copy directly in the file, designed to be machine- and human-readable. Layers can be pinned to frames or components and are available to plugins and export pipelines, making collaboration notes a first-class data source.

The on-device generative component engine runs in the Figma desktop app and powers small content fills, placeholder copy, and responsive icon variants without sending data to the cloud. Figma says this reduces privacy exposure for sensitive projects and speeds iteration in poor-network environments.

Developer-oriented features include a new JSON export that preserves Context Layer metadata, richer tokens for motion and state, and a plugin API to register custom context validators. The update aims to reduce back-and-forth by encoding process knowledge directly into design files.