Apps for iPhone and iPad
iOS app development is the work that turns an idea into an app people can download from the App Store and use on their iPhone or iPad. I build natively in Swift and SwiftUI, Apple's own tools, so the app feels like part of the phone. You test on your own iPhone along the way, and the app is published under your own account.
- I usually reply the same day
- Written estimate before work starts
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Native for iPhone and iPad
A native app is written in Swift and built with Apple's own frameworks. It starts quickly, scrolls smoothly and has access to everything the phone can do, from camera and location to Face ID, Apple Pay, widgets and push notifications. It also follows iOS's own rules for text size, dark mode and VoiceOver, so it works for more people without extra effort.
SwiftUI makes it possible to build for both iPhone and iPad from the same code. On iPad the app can use the larger screen with sidebars and multiple columns instead of just showing an enlarged phone app.
Typical apps I build
- Customer apps where customers can see orders, bookings, membership or balance and get a push notification when something changes.
- Internal apps for staff in the field: logging jobs, time, photos and signatures, including without a connection.
- The first version of a new business idea, scoped to what it takes to test the idea on real users.
- An app on top of an existing webshop or website that reuses the data and login from the system you already have.
- Further development of an existing iOS app whose original developer is no longer involved.
The app and everything behind it
Most apps fetch and store data somewhere, and that somewhere also has to be built or adapted. Because web development is my main work, I can build the API, the database and the web admin your staff use to manage the content in the app.
If you already have a system with an API, such as a webshop, a booking system or a CRM, I connect the app straight to it. The data then lives in one place, and the app and the website always show the same thing.
What is iOS app development?
iOS is the operating system on the iPhone, and iOS app development is the craft that creates the apps people download from the App Store. The work covers the user interface, the logic behind it, communication with a server and the release itself, where Apple reviews the app before it becomes available. iPad runs iPadOS, which is built on the same foundation, so an app can usually be made for both from the same code.
Apple's tools are Xcode as the development environment, Swift as the programming language and SwiftUI for the user interface. With them the app automatically follows the conventions users know from the rest of the phone: buttons, navigation, fonts and gestures behave the way they expect. That is a large part of why native apps feel right in the hand.
An iOS app rarely consists only of what you see on the screen. Behind it there is typically login, a database, push notifications and perhaps payments, and every part has to work when the connection is poor, the battery is low, or the user switches app in the middle of a flow. That is the part that separates an app that holds up in daily use from a demo.
I have built software since 2010 and write the code myself in the projects I take on. You talk to the person building the app, not to a project manager in between.
Native or cross-platform?
Native means the app is built specifically for iOS in Swift. Cross-platform means a single codebase, for example in React Native or Flutter, becomes apps on both iPhone and Android. Both routes are sensible, and the choice depends on who the app is for and what it has to do.
Native is the strong choice when users mainly have iPhones, when the app needs the phone's features such as camera, location, widgets or Apple Pay, and when it has to feel fully part of iOS. New features from Apple can be used as soon as they are released, without waiting for a cross-platform tool to catch up.
Cross-platform makes sense when the app has to be on iPhone and Android from day one on the same budget, and when it mostly shows data from a server. The price is an extra layer between the app and the phone, which can get in the way when the app needs something the tool does not support.
I build natively for iOS. If you need Android from the start, I will tell you honestly if a cross-platform solution fits your situation better. Many start with iPhone, learn from their users and build the Android version afterwards, once they know what the app needs to do.
From idea to the App Store
The first step is scoping the first version. Most ideas contain more features than are needed on day one, and an app that does one thing well reaches its users faster than one that does ten things halfway. We write down what the first version has to do and, just as importantly, what it does not.
Then I build the app in pieces. Each piece is sent to TestFlight, Apple's system for test builds, so you and a few selected users can install it on your own phones. Feedback from real phones catches things a screen in a meeting never shows.
When the app is ready, it has to pass Apple's review. Apple checks, among other things, that the app works, that it describes its data honestly and that it follows the rules for in-app purchases. I prepare the App Store page, the privacy details and a test user for the review, so the app is not rejected on formalities.
After launch a new iOS version arrives every year, and Apple keeps requiring apps to be built with newer tools. An app therefore has to be maintained even when it gets no new features. We put that in the plan from the start.
What you get
Concrete deliverables, not a report of recommendations someone else has to find time for.
- A native Swift app
The source code in your own repository, written in Swift and SwiftUI, structured so the next developer can find their way around.
- TestFlight along the way
New test builds on your iPhone as the work progresses, so you can try the app and give feedback while changes are still cheap.
- App Store release
An App Store page with copy and screenshots, submission for Apple's review, and fixes if Apple asks for them.
- Documentation and handover
A description of how the app is built and how a new version gets onto the App Store, so you are not dependent on me.
How it works
Four steps. You know what happens when, and you can stop after any of them.
- 01 / 04
We scope the first version
A 20-30 minute call about who the app is for and what it has to do on day one. I ask about data, login and existing systems, and tell you honestly if an app is not the answer to your problem.
- 02 / 04
Screen flow before code
I sketch the screens and the path between them, so we agree on the first version before any code is written. If a design already exists in Figma, I build from that.
- 03 / 04
Building with TestFlight
The app is built in pieces, and each piece lands on your iPhone through TestFlight. You test on real phones along the way, so changes get made while they are still cheap.
- 04 / 04
Release and upkeep
I prepare the App Store page, submit the app for Apple's review and fix whatever Apple may ask for. After launch I keep the app updated for new iOS versions, if you want me to.
Brands I've worked with
Frequently asked questions
- What does it cost to have an iOS app developed?
- It depends on how many screens and features the app has, and whether it talks to an existing system or needs its own backend. I give a fixed price on the first version once we have scoped it. On the page about what an app costs, I go through what pushes the price up and down.
- Do you build apps for both iPhone and iPad?
- Yes. With SwiftUI the app can be built for both from the same code, and on iPad it can use the larger screen with sidebars and multiple columns.
- Do you build Android apps too?
- No, I build natively for iOS. If the app also has to be on Android from the start, I will tell you honestly whether a cross-platform solution suits you better. Many start with iPhone and build the Android version once they know what the app needs to do.
- What is the difference between a native app and a web app?
- A native app is installed from the App Store and has full access to the phone's features such as push notifications, camera, widgets and Apple Pay. A web app runs in the browser and needs no installation, but can do less. If users only need to look something up now and then, a good mobile-friendly website may be enough.
- Who owns the app and the code?
- You do. The app is published under your own Apple developer account, and the source code lives in your own repository from day one. If you change developer, you take all of it with you.
- How long does it take to develop an iOS app?
- A tightly scoped first version with a few screens can often be built in a few weeks. An app with login, payments and integrations with several systems takes longer. You get a timeline with the quote and can follow progress in TestFlight along the way.
- What is TestFlight?
- TestFlight is Apple's system for test builds. You get an invitation, install TestFlight from the App Store and can then download every new test build of the app to your own iPhone before it is released.
- Can you take over an existing iOS app?
- Yes. I start by reviewing the code and getting it to build in the latest version of Xcode. You then get an assessment of what can be built on and what should be rewritten, before we agree on new work.
- Can the app work together with our webshop or website?
- Yes, as long as the system has an API or we can build one. The app and the website then share data and login, and what customers do in the app shows up on the website and the other way round.
- How do we get started?
- Write or call and briefly describe what the app should do and who it is for. You get a reply the same day, and then we have a 20-30 minute call to scope the first version.