Hire a Swift developer for your iPhone app
Hire a Swift developer when your app is for Apple devices and should feel exactly like it belongs there. Swift is Apple's own language, so it gets new iPhone features first.
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When native Swift is the right call
Swift apps are built with Apple's own tools. That gives direct access to everything the iPhone can do, such as the camera, health data, widgets, Apple Pay, the Apple Watch and Face ID. Performance and battery use are usually at their best.
Choose Swift if your mobile app is for Apple users only, relies on a hardware feature, or needs to adopt new iOS features quickly. Choose a cross-platform tool like React Native or Flutter when Android matters just as much.
What to ask a Swift developer
- Do you build the interface with SwiftUI, UIKit or both, and why?
- Which minimum iOS version will you support?
- How do you handle data saving, syncing and offline use?
- Have you taken an app through App Store review? What were the common issues?
- How do you test on real devices and different screen sizes?
- Which app in the App Store did you build or work on?
A developer who knows the review process well can save you weeks. Ask them how they prepare screenshots, privacy information and test accounts for the reviewers.
Example phases
Here is how a first release of an iPhone app can be split. Each milestone is funded before work starts and runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. The weeks in this example are for illustration, and developers set the length of each milestone in their proposal. Milestones are from 50 to 2,000 each in your project currency.
| Topic | Goal | Check |
|---|---|---|
| For example, weeks 1 to 2 | Project setup, navigation, main screens | Installable test build through TestFlight |
| For example, weeks 3 to 5 | Accounts, data, core feature | Core journey works on your iPhone |
| For example, weeks 6 to 7 | Notifications, purchases or other system features | Each feature tested on a real device |
| For example, weeks 8 to 9 | App Store assets, review, launch | App approved and released |
For example, weeks 1 to 2
- Goal
- Project setup, navigation, main screens
- Check
- Installable test build through TestFlight
For example, weeks 3 to 5
- Goal
- Accounts, data, core feature
- Check
- Core journey works on your iPhone
For example, weeks 6 to 7
- Goal
- Notifications, purchases or other system features
- Check
- Each feature tested on a real device
For example, weeks 8 to 9
- Goal
- App Store assets, review, launch
- Check
- App approved and released
Create the Apple Developer account in your own name. It holds the app, the sales data and the reviews, and it is yours to keep.
Matching for Swift
Developers pick up to 6 technologies as Expert in and list others as Also works with. A Swift project is scored on these lists, plus project type, portfolio, budget fit and availability.
The score is 0 to 100 and comes with reasons in plain words. At least 40 is needed to apply. 80 or more earns a Top match badge. Developers are independent professionals, not our employees.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Swift app run on Android?
No. For Android, you need a second app in Kotlin or a cross-platform approach from the start.
Link to this answerWhat is SwiftUI?
It is Apple's modern way to describe screens in code. Most new apps use it, and the developer can tell you if your case needs the older approach.
Link to this answerDo I need a backend?
If users have accounts or share data, yes. Supabase and Firebase are common picks for an iPhone app.
Link to this answerHow long does a first version take?
It depends on scope. The plan above gives a rough shape. Read how long it takes to build an app for what drives it.
Link to this answerRelated pages
- Hire a Kotlin developer for your Android appHire a Kotlin developer for a native Android app. What to ask, how milestones look, what to know about Google Play and how matching works.
- Hire a React Native and Expo developerOne codebase for iPhone and Android: what React Native and Expo can do, what to ask a developer, example milestones and how matching works.
- Build a mobile app with a developerPlan an iPhone and Android app: typical technologies, an example milestone plan, what to put in the brief and how to spot a developer who fits.
- Hire a Developer to Build Something NewTurn an idea into a working product. See how to prepare, how milestones structure the work and what to ask developers before you start.
- What Is an MVP? A Plain Guide for FoundersAn MVP is the smallest version of a product that real users can try. Learn what it includes, what it leaves out and how to plan one.