Many ask us, ‘How long does it take to learn iOS development?’. The answer depends on different factors, but in general, it can be between 6 months and 2 years, depending on a person’s tech background.
If you’re asking this question too, continue reading as we tackle the factors that affect how much time you need to completely learn iOS dev and be an iOS developer.
Identify your level of experience
Your experience in coding, or lack thereof, will help determine how long it will take to learn iOS development.
If you’re a complete beginner, your journey can range between 3 months to 1 year, which again will vary depending on your availability, commitment, and speed or rate at which you’re able to grasp and apply your knowledge.
For beginners, we always recommend familiarizing yourself with the basics you continue learning in order to prepare for more advanced concepts in the future. Getting a good grasp of the fundamentals itself can take between 1-3 months.
If you’re looking for a structured learning path, we recommend our How to Make an App in 8 Days YouTube series or Learn iOS in 90 Days learning path. In both programs, we take you through the Apple Developer Ecosystem, understanding the Swift programming language, and building your own apps.
Know how much time you’re willing to dedicate to studying
Learning iOS Dev doesn’t have a deadline. Still in high school? It’s always good to start early. Already working and have a family? It’s a nice hobby to start and enjoy.
It all boils down to how much time you’re willing to set aside to learn. Having a full-time job will take up at least 8 to 9 hours of your time a day. That leaves you just a few hours after work for your dedicated study time. The same applies to having kids or a busy lifestyle.
However, keep in mind that consistency is more important. So if you only have a couple of hours a day to commit to your learning, then that’s totally alright because your efforts will compound towards actual progress. Treat this journey as a marathon and not a sprint, and you’ll surely go a long way.
Identify your desired skill level
Do you want to familiarize iOS Dev concepts or build an app MVP (minimum viable product)?
Learning to build and develop a basic app will only take you a few months, especially with our Learn iOS in 90 Days learning path. It’s a 90-day step-by-step plan that gives you a list of topics to learn every day for 90 days, which is especially helpful if you have zero coding background.
However, building an MVP will require you to dedicate more time since you’ll have custom functionalities and requirements that will make your app appeal to public use. Add to that, you’ll also allot more time adding features and improving the user experience, depending on user feedback. This goal will definitely take more time and is continuous, which will make it a lot more exciting!
Figure out how you’ll learn
These are your options if you want to learn iOS Dev in 2023:
- Join a Bootcamp
- Learn through online courses
- Teach yourself through different resources
A boot camp is a digital classroom set-up environment where you enroll and learn from 13 weeks to 24 weeks, depending on the program of your choice. It’s a great way to learn iOS Dev while growing your network and meeting other attendees. Although quite expensive, some have found success in boot camps these days. Some of the most popular iOS bootcamps are hosted by Clarusway, 4GeeksAcademy, CodeFellows, and Fullstack Academy, to name a few.
Now if you’re more conservative but don’t want to compromise on results, you can learn from a lot of online course providers such as CodeWithChris, Hacking With Swift, Kodeco, and more. You will unpack a lot of value from online course providers as they offer comprehensive courses that are perfect for beginners to more advanced learners.
At CodeWithChris, we have over 40 courses available and hundreds of bite-sized lessons categorized into key topics on iOS app development. These courses are offered through CWC+, a set of versatile training and tools designed to help you achieve your iOS goals.
Lastly, if you think you can do it on your own, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with self-studying from YouTube videos and other free websites. What’s important is you find the right one that suits you best. Speaking of free resources, we have a ton of videos on our YouTube channel that cover different iOS Dev topics!
Now that you know what can affect how long your iOS Dev journey is, are you ready to dive in? Check out our courses today and start working on your goals!