If you are looking to build a new iOS app, you need to know when to start, what are the requirements, which is the right programming language, and more. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about mobile app development iOS.

What is mobile app development iOS?

Mobile app development iOS is the process of developing mobile apps for iOS devices. In this process, the developers use the Swift or Objective-C programming language to write the software and then publish it to the App Store where users can download it.

To be able to do that, a mobile app development iOS developer needs a Mac computer. And when the app is completed, it needs to go through a quality review process before it can be distributed through the App Store.

So why do you need to build a mobile app development iOS? There are millions of iPhone and iPad users in the world and there is a very high chance that most of your customers, employees, or partners are using these devices. To reach more customers, you should opt for mobile app development for iOS and Android. It’s not easy to develop an iOS app but if you have proper planning and the right resources, you can get it done easily.

Requirements for mobile app development iOS 

As a developer or a manager of a developer team, you need to these things before starting the mobile app development iOS process:

• An Apple Mac computer which is updated to the latest version of macOS
• The integrated development environment for macOS, Xcode, is available as a free download from the Mac App Store.
• An active Apple Developer account, which you can subscribe to with a $99 annual fee.

If you don’t meet one of these requirements, you won’t be able to complete your app. These three requirements work together: The Apple App Store only allows active members of the Apple Developer Program to post an app that is signed and published by Xcode. And as you might already know, Xcode runs only on macOS, and macOS runs only on Apple computers.

Besides, Xcode not only allows you to sign and publish your completed app, but it also contains everything you need to develop an iOS app, from a user interface designer, code editor, to a testing engine, asset catalog, and more.

Select an iOS programing language

It’s important to code an app with the right programming language. Currently, there are two programming languages that are mostly used for iOS app development.

Swift: Nowadays, Swift is a popular one among programming languages for iOS. In fact, it is known as the new “official” language of iOS. Swift comes with many similar features as Objective-C, the other programming language for iOS that we will discuss later. However, compared to Objective-C, Swift is more focused on security. Besides, it’s easy to learn Swift, even for beginners who are new to mobile app development. Since 2014, Swift has become popular and it’s recommended for developers to use this language because it’s much faster, more secure, and easier to use than the other language.

Objective-C: This is considered the original programming language for iOS which was developed in the early 1980s. It was derived from the C language, and even though Swift has been around for nearly a decade, many developers still prefer their legacy applications written in Objective-C.

Tap into APIs and libraries

There is a wide collection of resources for iOS app developers, so you can take advantage of the native APIs and libraries from Apple that are stable, feature-rich, and easy to use. These iOS SDKs can also be used to integrate your app into Apple’s existing infrastructure.

Expand into the cloud

iOS devices are powerful. But to get the most out of them and handle more intensive tasks, you should connect your app to cloud-based services through APIs. Once you get it done, you can use the cloud for storage, database management, and even app caching. 

Test the app when the development is completed

Before releasing your app, you need to test it a few times. Even when you have the best team of developers in the world, they might still make some errors. That’s why you need to test when the development of your app is completed. The first line of testing is in Xcode. As Xcode features automated UI testing, your work will be much easier. But you need to make sure to write tests that cover every aspect of your app, then let the UI testing do its job. 

Publish your app to the App Store

Last but not least, you will be able to publish your app when all the development and testing are done. A good thing is that you can submit and sign your app directly through Xcode. Keep in mind that you might have to wait quite a long time for the app review process until you get your final approval. Afterward, you can start selling your app to customers.

Hopefully, this guide is useful and shows you what you need to do when it comes to mobile app development iOS. If you need more support, contact Omatech now!