If you've ever wanted to learn to develop apps for iOS and iPadOS, there's no better time than now to start learning. Here are the best resources to help you get started.
According to ZipRecruiter, the national average for a Junior Swift developer is $101,228 per year, with 75% of the jobs paying more than $80,000 per year.
Even self-taught coders can earn quite a bit, provided they've got a portfolio of apps that can impress recruiters.
Of course, you don't need to learn to code solely because you want to be a full-time Swift developer, either. However, learning to code is an excellent resume booster and shows that you're committed to learning skills that could be beneficial for potential employers.
And, if nothing else, it's a great way to help you make your own apps. After all, it's very satisfying to build your own apps, and you may find that it's lucrative to do so.
Here are a few of our favorite resources for getting into Swift development.
Best for the Beginner
Swift Playgrounds
Before you start learning to code anywhere else, we highly suggest checking out Apple's very own Swift Playgrounds. Not only is it 100% free, meaning you won't need to worry about dropping big money on something if you don't like it, but it's also a solid resource in its own right.
Playgrounds is set up to teach users with minimal to no experience of any kind. It starts by teaching simple programming concepts, such as loops and conditional code, and debugging skills. Later lessons incorporate things such as Apple's Bluetooth and ARKit APIs.
And don't let its bright-colored facade fool you — it's not just for kids. Some puzzles are legitimately challenging if you have no prior experience coding, and Apple isn't always quick to provide solutions.
If you've never touched any programming before, you'll want to download Swift Playgrounds to your Mac or iPad to try it out.
Download at Apple
Best full-length free course
The Complete Swift iOS Developer - Create Real Apps in Swift
Once you've figured out that you like working with Swift, it's time to expand your skills a bit more. Still, you might not be ready to invest money.
The Complete Swift iOS Developer - Create Real Apps in Swift course offered through Udemy is entirely free and contains almost 50 hours of content. It's geared toward complete beginners, though we do think it's helpful to at least familiarize yourself with the content in Swift Playgrounds first.
Like any good Swift course, it also teaches you how to figure out which apps will be successful. It zeroes in on how you can create compelling apps. You'll learn to develop essential apps that teach you critical skills during the course, such as clocks, temperature converters, GPS maps, and even Instagram clones.
As stated above, this course is 100% free, which means you'll be able to gain enough knowledge to decide whether or not a paid course is right for you.
Free at Udemy
Best overall
Dr. Angela Yu's "iOS & Swift - The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp"
If you're looking to sink your teeth into learning how to become a Swift developer, this course is for you. It's a jam-packed course with nearly 60 hours of on-demand classes.
Dr. Yu is a fantastic teacher, and her hands-on teaching style is great for those of us who learn by doing. Each lesson has you build something based on a real-world app, starting with the iconic I Am Rich app.
During your time with the course, you'll learn Xcode, UIKit, SwiftUI, ARKit, CoreML, and CoreData. You'll also create a portfolio of 15 apps, which will allow you to showcase your new skills to prospective employers.
Don't just take our word for it — It's rated 4.8/5, and more than 281,806 students have tried it out.
The price for the course varies wildly depending on Udemy's sales. Normally the course is $129.99, but at the time of publishing was listed for $15.99.
Buy for $15.99 at Udemy
Going the college route
Of course, if you're looking for a more traditional route, you can always apply to a college that offers significant coursework in Swift development. These courses are often meant to supplement conventional degrees in design and development.
Apple provides a list of colleges that offer significant Swift development coursework, organized by state, for US Learners.
