iOS Apps

Overview

iOS development can be done using native tools or cross-platform frameworks. With Claude Code, you can vibe code iOS apps using the technology that fits your needs.

Prerequisites

Required Software

1. macOS - Required for iOS development
2. Xcode - Download from Mac App Store (free)
3. Xcode Command Line Tools - Install via Terminal:

   xcode-select --install

Optional (for cross-platform)

• Node.js - For React Native
• Flutter SDK - For Flutter development

Choose Your Tech Stack

SwiftUI (Recommended for native iOS)

Apple’s modern framework for building iOS apps.

Pros:

• Native performance
• Latest iOS features
• Clean, declarative syntax
• Great documentation from Apple

Cons:

• iOS only (separate code for Android)
• Requires learning Swift

React Native (For cross-platform)

Build iOS and Android with JavaScript.

Pros:

• One codebase for iOS and Android
• Use JavaScript/React
• Large community
• Fast development

Cons:

• Larger app size
• Some native code needed for platform-specific features

Flutter (For beautiful UIs)

Google’s cross-platform framework.

Pros:

• One codebase for iOS and Android
• Beautiful, customizable UIs
• Good performance

Cons:

• Learn Dart language
• Larger app size

Building with SwiftUI

Create a new project

1. Open Xcode
2. File → New → Project
3. Choose “App”
4. Select SwiftUI for Interface
5. Choose SwiftUI App for Life Cycle

Start Claude Code

cd /path/to/your/project
claude

Example prompts

"Create a login screen with email and password fields using SwiftUI"

"Add a TabView with Home, Search, and Profile tabs"

"Create a list view that displays an array of items"

"Implement UserDefaults to save user preferences"

"Add a camera view that lets users take photos"

"Create a custom color scheme and apply it throughout the app"

Run on simulator

Press Cmd + R in Xcode or:

xcodebuild -scheme YourAppName -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 15' clean build

Building with React Native

Create a new app

npx react-native@latest init MyApp
cd MyApp

Install iOS dependencies

cd ios && pod install && cd ..

Start Claude Code

claude

Run on iOS simulator

npm run ios

Example prompts

"Create a navigation stack with Home and Detail screens"

"Add a login form with validation"

"Implement AsyncStorage for caching user data"

"Create a camera component using react-native-camera"

"Add push notifications using Firebase"

"Implement biometric authentication (Face ID/Touch ID)"

Building with Flutter

Create a new app

flutter create my_app
cd my_app

Start Claude Code

claude

Run on iOS simulator

flutter run

Example prompts

"Create a Cupertino-style iOS app with bottom tab navigation"

"Add a sign-in form with Apple Sign In integration"

"Create a list view with pull-to-refresh"

"Implement local storage using Hive"

"Add a settings screen with theme switching"

Common Features

Navigation

Implement navigation between screens:

claude "create a navigation system with Home, Settings, and Profile screens"

API Integration

Connect to backend:

claude "fetch data from https://api.example.com/posts and display in a list"

Local Storage

Save data on device:

claude "save user session data and restore it when app reopens"

Camera and Photos

Access device camera:

claude "add a profile photo picker that uses camera or photo library"

Push Notifications

Send notifications:

claude "integrate APNs (Apple Push Notification service) for notifications"

Maps and Location

Use location services:

claude "show user's location on a map using MapKit"

Apple Sign In

Implement Apple authentication:

claude "add Sign in with Apple button and handle authentication"

iOS-Specific Features

Face ID / Touch ID

claude "add biometric authentication before showing sensitive data"

Widgets

claude "create a home screen widget that shows today's tasks"

App Clips

claude "create an App Clip for quick checkout without full app install"

Shortcuts Integration

claude "add Siri shortcuts for common actions in my app"

ShareSheet

claude "add share functionality to share content to other apps"

Styling and UI

Follow iOS Design Guidelines

claude "create a UI following Apple Human Interface Guidelines"

Dark Mode

claude "implement dark mode support with automatic system theme detection"

SF Symbols

Use Apple’s icon system:

claude "use SF Symbols for icons throughout the app"

Custom Fonts

claude "add and use a custom font in my SwiftUI app"

Testing

Unit Tests

claude "write unit tests for the authentication logic"

UI Tests

claude "create UI tests for the login flow"

TestFlight

claude "help me prepare my app for TestFlight beta testing"

Building and Deployment

Build for Simulator

# React Native
npm run ios
 
# Flutter
flutter run
 
# Native (use Xcode or)
xcodebuild -scheme YourApp -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 15'

Build for Device

# Set up signing in Xcode first
# Then build
xcodebuild -scheme YourApp -destination 'generic/platform=iOS' archive

App Store Submission

1. Archive your app in Xcode (Product → Archive)
2. Validate the archive
3. Upload to App Store Connect
4. Submit for review

claude "help me prepare my app for App Store submission and create screenshots"

Pro Tips

• Test on real iOS devices, not just simulators
• Support latest iOS version and 2 versions back (e.g., iOS 16+)
• Follow Apple Human Interface Guidelines
• Use SF Symbols for icons
• Implement dark mode from the start
• Keep app size under 150MB for cellular downloads
• Use TestFlight for beta testing
• Handle App Store review guidelines carefully

Apple Developer Account

You need an Apple Developer account ($99/year) to:

• Test on real devices
• Submit to App Store
• Use push notifications
• Access beta features

Sign up at developer.apple.com 

Permissions

Handle iOS permissions:

claude "add camera permission request with clear explanation in Info.plist"

Common permissions:

• Camera
• Photo Library
• Location (Always/When In Use)
• Notifications
• Contacts
• Microphone
• Face ID

Debugging

Use Claude to debug issues:

claude "my app crashes on iPhone 15 Pro but works on iPhone 14. Here's the crash log: [paste]"

App Store Optimization

Screenshots

claude "help me create App Store screenshots that showcase my app's features"

Description

claude "write an App Store description that highlights my app's benefits"

Keywords

claude "suggest relevant App Store keywords for my fitness tracking app"

Example Project Ideas

• Note-taking app with iCloud sync
• Habit tracker with widgets
• Recipe app with photo integration
• Budget tracker with charts
• Workout timer with HealthKit
• Social media client
• Weather app with beautiful animations
• Shopping list with shared lists

Monetization

In-App Purchases

claude "implement in-app purchases for premium features using StoreKit"

Subscriptions

claude "add monthly subscription using StoreKit 2"

AdMob

claude "integrate Google AdMob for banner ads"

Next Steps

1. Install Xcode on your Mac
2. Choose your framework (SwiftUI recommended for iOS-only)
3. Create a new project
4. Start Claude and begin building
5. Test on iOS Simulator
6. Test on real iPhone/iPad
7. Submit to TestFlight
8. Launch on App Store

Start vibe coding your iOS app today!