Do you have a Mac? If your answer was yes, you already have everything you need to develop apps that will run on your iPad, iPhone, and any other iOS-powered device.
Of course, you can still hire an iOS developer and make your app ready much quicker, but it will feel way more fun to learn how to develop it yourself.
So if you’re slightly curious about iOS development, it’s worth giving it a shot. And don’t worry that you have no idea how to start your development journey. We’ll give you a complete guide on how to get started with iOS development.
But, first, let’s start with some basic terms:
What are iOS and iOS development?
For complete beginners, let’s first understand what iOS is.
iOS, which was formerly known as iPhone OS, is Apple’s designed mobile operating system created exclusively for the Apple hardware. In other words, you can never find iOS on Android; it only works on iPad, iPhone, and other Apple-designed mobile devices.
What is iOS development?
Well, iOS development is the creation of mobile applications for Apple hardware. Yes, it’s that simple.
The new iOS apps use the Swift programming language, so any iOS developer should know Swift very well. The predecessor of Swift was the Objective-C, which is almost entirely out of the game today but is still used sometimes to maintain the legacy systems.
So as an iOS developer, your primary requirement will be to know Swift and have a solid understanding of Apple’s iOS frameworks. In a way, it means that you will be a full-stack developer because you will be responsible both for the front and back end of the mobile application.
So now that all the basics are cleared up, let’s jump into the :
3 Main Steps for Becoming an iOS Developer
1) Learn the fundamentals
Now reading what iOS and iOS development are is one thing, and understanding it is another. If you are entirely new to the programming world, you need to understand what development is and how it works in iOS.
It means you need a general overview of the field, which you can get by watching different YouTube channels or taking beginner courses.
Of course, you can skip this step if you’re already a developer or you’re pursuing your degree in Computer Science, but for complete beginners, it’s a must.
2) Get yourself a beginner-friendly iOS development course
Once you’ve learned all of the general concepts and find yourself ready to get your hands on iOS, you can take an iOS course specifically designed for beginners.
If you find a good iOS workshop or a short course in your territory, you can attend those, but usually, they are way more expensive than the online courses. And, online courses cover it all, so if you put in some effort, you can become a good iOS developer very soon.
Many websites offer beginner-friendly iOS courses. One of them, for instance, is Udemy with its iOS Programming for Beginners, which introduces you to the world of iOS.
Once you successfully complete the beginner courses, you can smoothly move to the more advanced courses until one day you feel like you have enough confidence to start your first iOS project and ask money for it.
3) Build an iOS portfolio
Try to complete your tasks and homework really well throughout your courses to include those in your iOS developer portfolio. Yes, you’ve heard us right: you need a portfolio, and there are a couple of ways you can build it.
First, as we’ve already mentioned, if your courses require you to work on projects, make sure you complete them well enough so that you are not ashamed to show them off in your portfolio. However, we all know how it goes.
When you’re only learning a new programming language, you approach your projects and tasks as a way to experiment, make mistakes and learn from those. So, it might not be the best decision to include them in your website based on which the future employers are going to assess your development skills.
So what to do? When you feel that you more or less figure out iOS, try building apps yourself. Create an imaginary company that requires you to develop an imaginary app, and complete that task as if it was real.
Or maybe you yourself have an excellent idea for an Apple app! Why not develop it and show it off to your future employers? Who knows, maybe it could even work well, and become your future business?
Finally, if you’re not the type of person who can motivate himself and push himself to do stuff, just sign up on freelancing platforms and find a small gig. Of course, with no experience, it would be tough to find a well-paying job, so you can start with charging less. Remember that in this case you need the gig for your portfolio.
Eventually, when you complete your freelance job, you will get a really cool project to show off, some money, and work experience!
And once you have a portfolio and a little bit of experience: you’re officially an iOS developer, and thousands of opportunities are open to you!
So, before you hire an iOS developer, wait for a minute and think: what if you could do it yourself?