I have a great idea for an app. How do I get started?
I see this question come up a lot. Someone has an idea for an iOS app, and they want to know how to get started making the app. You have two options for making an iOS app: hiring a developer to make the app or making the app yourself.
Hire a Developer to Write the App for You
Hiring a developer is expensive. A good iOS developer charges $100(US) or more per hour. If you can afford to hire a developer, you can find one at iOS Dev Directory.
You may think you can hire someone to write an iOS app for a percentage of the profits. Unless you have a friend who’s an iOS developer, you’re going to have a tough time finding someone to work for a percentage of the profits. Working for a percentage of the profits is basically working for free because the chances of making lots of money from an iOS app are slim. Most people are unwilling to work for free.
Learn Programming
The cheaper, more time consuming option is to make the app yourself. If you’re asking how to make an iOS app, chances are high you have never programmed before. Learning to program is the first step in making an iOS app. Trying to develop an iOS app without knowing how to program is like trying to write a book without knowing how to write. It’s going to be very difficult.
Swift is the language to learn to develop iOS apps. Get a book to learn Swift. People recommend the following books to learn Swift:
Despite Apple’s claims, Swift is not an easy language to learn. If you struggle learning Swift, I recommend learning Python and going back to learn Swift. Python is an easier language to learn than Swift. Once you learn Python or another programming language, learning Swift will be easier.
Learn iOS Development
Once you learn how to program, you can move on to learning iOS development. My Learning iOS Development article has many resources for learning how to make iOS apps.