Before the release of iOS 12, if your app offered a specific category of service (e.g. messaging or payments), it could integrate Siri to let the user perform certain actions (intents) in response to spoken commands. It was cool, but Siri only recognized phrases defined by Apple, and you couldn’t create your own custom intent. With the introduction of iOS 12, Apple made it possible to create your own intents and also released Siri Shortcuts.

The mobile operating system market is completely dominated by two industry giants: Apple and Google. On paper, Google’s Android dwarfs Apple’s iOS: its market share is at around 88%, compared to the Cupertino company’s paltry 12%. But these numbers don’t tell the whole story.

So you have an idea for an app and have decided to give it a go on the iOS market. You're probably wondering about the specifics that make an iOS project a success or failure. Don't worry, we've got you covered. Read on to find out more about the essential iOS development success factors for bringing an idea to reality.

A huge amount of a developer’s daily work is debugging. It’s the thing that makes this job really annoying, however on the other hand, resolving an issue and making something work is such an amazing feeling that being a developer is still worth it.

Currently, security is one of the hottest topics in IT. Users, companies, and legislators are taking the subject of data security and privacy more and more seriously. This trend also applies to mobile applications due to their proximity to the user. Frequency of use and convenience mean that mobile apps often store important private data. iOS, due to its closed system and restrictions imposed by Apple, is considered one of the most secure mobile operating systems. This does not mean, however, that you can neglect security when developing an iOS application.

Starting an iOS project involves making a key decision: choosing the language for the development. When it comes to native mobile app development, there are two possibilities: Objective-C and Swift. What are the differences between them? What are pros and cons of each one? And, finally, which language will be better for your project?

Mobile analytics provide you with the information that you can leverage in taking data-driven decisions to improve engagement, promote retention and increase the revenue. Choosing the right tool for mobile analytics has an impact on your profits and the future growth. The cheat sheet will help you make the right choice.

Apple is known for cutting off their support for old standards, devices and software versions. Recently, the rumours have confirmed - iPhone 7 doesn’t have a headphone jack anymore. All ports in the latest iteration of MacBooks got replaced with thinner and more modern USB-C type ports. Even the beloved MagSafe power connector was replaced with USB-C. This proves that Apple is not afraid of making big decisions. As the App Store is growing more than ever before, the set of abandoned, legacy iOS apps is getting bigger and bigger each year, which means that Apple will have to start maintaining it better.

There are around 2,200,000 apps in the App Store at the moment. Even though the top apps are only a tiny fraction of that number, it’s still quite a lot of applications. In such a crowded place, it’s really hard to compete for users’ attention, and even if we manage to reach users and make them download the app, it won’t be easy to keep them using our product on a daily basis. There are many ways to make your app great. Implementing a great design that provides delightful experience and usability is an absolute must. Still, the possibilities don’t end on design. There are a few other functionalities that everybody uses but may not be aware of. We made a list of 10 iOS features that will help your app become more visible and accessible to users. Enjoy!

In recent months many discussions arose on the subject of  App Store economy, especially in terms of how indie developers can build a sustainable business by creating apps we love to use. We have to remember, that the App Store is not only a place where you can buy iPhone apps but also apps that run on your Mac, AppleTV and iPad. Actually, looking at the App Store from the perspective of the devices for which it offers applications is a good way to understand why developers want it to change.