How to Be IOS Developer - Job Description, Skills, and Interview Questions

Feb 26, 2022 / 5 Minutes Read / By Albert

How to Become

Professional Organizations

FAQ

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iOS developers play an important role in the mobile application development space. By creating applications for Apple's iOS platform, they are able to create innovative products that can solve everyday problems and make life easier. As a result, these developers have a direct impact on the way that many people interact with their devices and the world around them.

The success of the applications developed by these professionals directly correlates with the quality of the user experience, and this is why having experienced and knowledgeable iOS developers is so important. Furthermore, when these developers create successful applications, it can lead to increased revenue for businesses, create jobs and provide an additional stream of income for the developers.

Steps How to Become

Learn the Fundamentals. The first step to becoming an iOS developer is to learn the fundamentals of computer programming and software development. You can do this by reading books, taking online courses, or attending courses at a coding school.
Get Familiar with Apples Developer Tools. Apple provides developers with a suite of tools to help them build and refine their apps. These tools include Xcode, which is used for writing code, and Interface Builder, which is used for designing user interfaces.
Familiarize Yourself with Swift. Swift is the programming language used to develop iOS apps, so youll need to become familiar with it. There are plenty of resources available online to help you learn Swift.
Design and Build Your First App. Once youve learned the basics of programming and have become familiar with Apples development tools and Swift, youre ready to start designing and building your first app.
Test Your App. Testing your app is an important part of the development process, as it helps identify any bugs or potential issues before the app is released.
Submit Your App for Review. Once your app is ready for release, youll need to submit it to Apple for review. This process usually takes a few days.
Release Your App. After Apple has approved your app, it will be available for download on the App Store. Congratulations! You are now an iOS developer!

Being an iOS developer requires a wide range of technical and creative skills. To be ideal and competent, one must possess strong knowledge of the iOS software development kit, proficiency in Objective-C and Swift programming languages, and the ability to create innovative user interfaces. having knowledge of HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and other web technologies is beneficial for developing mobile applications for the iOS platform.

having good communication skills, problem solving abilities, and an understanding of the core principles of software development are essential for success. An ideal iOS developer must be able to work collaboratively in a team environment and have a passion for creating engaging mobile applications that provide an excellent user experience.

You may want to check Java Developer, AI/ML Developer, and Cloud Solutions Architect for alternative.

Job Description

Design and develop mobile applications for iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads.
Collaborate with other developers and teams to create user-friendly, high-performance applications.
Analyze user needs and develop software solutions to meet those needs.
Research and implement new technologies to improve existing applications.
Troubleshoot and debug software issues.
Create quality assurance procedures to test applications before deployment.
Document and maintain software functionalities.
Ensure code is optimized for maximum speed and scalability.
Ensure high quality, security, and compliance with applicable standards.
Stay up-to-date with the latest iOS technologies and trends.

Skills and Competencies to Have

Proficiency in Swift/Objective-C programming language
Familiarity with Cocoa Touch and Cocoa APIs
Experience with Xcode, Interface Builder and other development tools
Experience with version control systems such as Git
Understanding of Apples design principles and interface guidelines
Knowledge of RESTful APIs to connect iOS applications to back-end services
Ability to work with external data sources and API's
Familiarity with push notifications
Experience deploying apps to App Store Connect
Understanding of Apples Human Interface Guidelines
Experience with performance and memory tuning
Ability to troubleshoot, debug and optimize code
Experienced in UI and UX design principles
Proficient in using source control systems such as GitHub

Being an iOS developer requires a range of technical skills, but the most important skill to have is the ability to think logically and solve problems. By having a logical mindset, a developer can identify potential issues and develop solutions that are efficient and effective. Knowing how to work with various programming languages, frameworks, and libraries is also essential, as they are fundamental tools used to develop applications.

being familiar with the Apples Human Interface Guidelines will help developers ensure that their applications adhere to the companys design principles and that their user experiences are intuitive and consistent. Lastly, having an understanding of the latest technologies, such as SwiftUI, CloudKit, and ARKit, is invaluable in order to keep up with the constantly evolving mobile technologies.

AI Developer, UX Developer, and Back-End Developer are related jobs you may like.

Frequent Interview Questions

What experience do you have developing iOS applications?
Describe a project youve worked on recently that demonstrates your iOS development skills.
What techniques do you use to ensure the quality of your code?
How do you test and debug iOS apps?
How do you stay up-to-date on the latest iOS trends and technologies?
What challenges have you faced while developing iOS applications?
Are you familiar with the Apple App Store submission guidelines?
How do you handle memory management in iOS applications?
Are you familiar with reactive programming and the Core Data framework?
What challenges have you encountered when integrating third-party libraries into your iOS applications?

Common Tools in Industry

Xcode. Apple's official IDE for developing apps for Mac, iPhone/iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. (eg: Visual Studio for iOS development)
CocoaPods. A dependency manager for Cocoa projects that helps developers manage third-party libraries. (eg: NuGet for iOS development)
Swift. Apple's open-source programming language used to create applications for iOS and other Apple platforms. (eg: Objective-C for iOS development)
AppCode. An IDE developed by JetBrains that helps developers write code more efficiently when developing apps for iOS and macOS. (eg: Visual Studio Code for iOS development)
Fabric. A set of tools designed to help developers build, distribute, and measure their mobile apps. (eg: Firebase for iOS development)
Simulator. A tool used by developers to test the performance of their apps on different devices and operating systems. (eg: TestFlight for iOS development)
Firebase. A suite of tools from Google that helps developers build, test, and manage their mobile apps. (eg: Parse for iOS development)
TestFlight. A platform from Apple that allows developers to distribute beta versions of their apps to testers. (eg: Crashlytics for iOS development)
React Native. An open-source framework from Facebook that enables developers to create native apps using JavaScript. (eg: Xamarin for iOS development)
AWS Amplify. A set of tools from Amazon Web Services that help developers create and manage cloud-based applications. (eg: Heroku for iOS development)

Professional Organizations to Know

Apple Developer Program
Swift Developer Network
iOS Developers Meetup
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
iOS Developers Group
Worldwide Developers Association
International Mobile Gaming Awards
Mobile Application Developers Alliance (MADA)
International Association of Mobile Application Developers (IAMDA)
App Builders Switzerland
Women Who Code iOS Developers Network
iOS Dev UK
iOS Developers of India
Apple Developer Academy
International Mobile Gaming Society
App Builders Canada
iOS Dev Camp
iOSDev Directory
Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC)

We also have Full-Stack Developer, Natural Language Processing (NLP) Developer, and Network Developer jobs reports.

Common Important Terms

API (Application Programming Interface). A set of programming instructions and standards for accessing a web-based application or web tool.
Cocoa Touch. A set of frameworks used to develop applications for Apple's iOS operating system.
Swift Programming Language. A programming language created by Apple for developing applications for iOS, watchOS, tvOS, macOS, and Linux.
Xcode. An integrated development environment (IDE) created by Apple for developing applications for iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS.
SDK (Software Development Kit). A set of tools used to create and debug software applications.
Objective-C. An object-oriented programming language used to develop applications for Apple's iOS and macOS operating systems.
Storyboard. A visual representation of the user interface of an iOS application, allowing developers to create and edit the user interface in a graphical way.
UIKit. A framework used to create user interfaces for applications running on iOS.
CoreData. A framework used to store and manage data in a persistent store on iOS.
Push Notifications. A notification sent from a server to an application running on an iOS device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the latest version of iOS? A1: The latest version of iOS is iOS 13. Q2: What tools are used to develop iOS apps? A2: iOS apps are typically developed using Apple's integrated development environment (IDE) called Xcode. Q3: How many devices does an Apple Developer Account allow for app testing? A3: An Apple Developer Account allows for up to 100 devices for app testing. Q4: What language is used to develop iOS apps? A4: iOS apps are typically developed using the programming language Swift or Objective-C. Q5: What is the App Store Connect? A5: App Store Connect is a suite of web-based tools used for managing apps on the App Store and Mac App Store.