iOS 26 Programming for Beginners: A hands-on guide to kickstarting your iOS app development journey with Swift 6, UIKit, and Xcode 26
Original price was: $44.99.$35.99Current price is: $35.99.
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Build real-world iOS apps from scratch while learning the latest Swift 6, Xcode 26, and Apple Intelligence features in this fully updated 10th edition
Free with your book: DRM-free PDF version + access to Packt’s next-gen Reader
Key FeaturesHave fun building your first iOS app and start your iOS programming careerLearn to integrate Apple Intelligence and the sleek new Liquid Glass UI for modern app experiencesEstablish a solid foundation with UIKit, testing, and deployment best practicesBook Description
iOS 26 Programming for Beginners returns in its 10th edition, fully updated to reflect Apple’s latest innovations in app development. Perfect for complete newcomers as well as those transitioning from other platforms, this practical guide walks you through every step of building your first iOS app using Swift 6 and Xcode 26.
Following a project-based approach, you’ll create a feature-rich journal app while mastering UIKit fundamentals, including storyboards, navigation, data persistence, media integration, and map-based features. Each chapter builds on the last with clear explanations, step-by-step instructions, and real-world examples that reinforce your learning.
Along the way, you’ll enhance your app with Apple Intelligence, Apple’s on-device AI platform, to deliver smart, personalized user experiences. You’ll also leverage the elegant Liquid Glass UI design system introduced in iOS 26, to give your app a modern and immersive feel.
By the end of this book, you’ll have built and deployed a complete iOS app and gained the essential skills to pursue a career in mobile development.
What you will learnInstall and configure Xcode 26 for iOS developmentBuild intuitive user interfaces using UIKit and Auto LayoutHandle JSON data and persistent storageIntegrate Core Location and MapKit for GPS featuresEnhance app features with Apple IntelligenceApply the new Liquid Glass UI for visual polishSubmit and deploy your app to the App StoreWho this book is for
This iOS programming book is for beginners with minimal coding experience who want to enter the world of Swift programming and iOS app development. A basic understanding of programming concepts is all you need to get started.
Table of ContentsHello, XcodeSimple Values and TypesConditionals and OptionalsRange Operators and LoopsCollection TypesFunctions and ClosuresClasses, Structures, and EnumerationsProtocols, Extensions, and Error HandlingSwift ConcurrencySet Up the User InterfaceBuild the User InterfaceComplete the User InterfaceModify App ScreensMVC and Table ViewsGetting Data into Table ViewsPass Data Between View ControllersCore Location and MapKitJSON FilesCustom ViewsCamera and Photo LibrarySearchCollection ViewsAdopt Liquid GlassIcon ComposerApple IntelligenceFoundation ModelsTest and Submit Your App to the App Store
From the Publisher
Customer Reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars 14
5.0 out of 5 stars 10
4.8 out of 5 stars 44
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Edition
Tenth Seventh Third
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Target Audience
Individuals with minimal coding experience who are new to the world of Swift and iOS app development Developers with a fundamental grasp of the Swift language and who aspire to take their development skills to the next level by learning some of the advanced topics and techniques of the Swift Language. Mobile developers who want to learn SwiftUI as well as experienced iOS developers transitioning from UIKit to SwiftUI
Featured Topics
iOS 26 features, Xcode 26, Swift 6.2, UIKit, Apple Intelligence, and Liquid glass UI Swift 6, Swift Testing framework, Concurrency, Memory management, Generics, and Reflection with the Mirror API, Swift UI 5, Xcode 15, Advanced controls, Animations, Swift Charts, Custom modifiers, Animations, and State management
Publisher : Packt Publishing
Publication date : November 27, 2025
Edition : 10th ed.
Language : English
Print length : 634 pages
ISBN-10 : 1806023938
ISBN-13 : 978-1806023936
Item Weight : 2.37 pounds
Dimensions : 7.5 x 1.43 x 9.25 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #573,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #5 in Swift Programming Language #14 in Apple Programming #27 in Mobile App Development & Programming
Customer Reviews: 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (14) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
7 reviews for iOS 26 Programming for Beginners: A hands-on guide to kickstarting your iOS app development journey with Swift 6, UIKit, and Xcode 26
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Original price was: $44.99.$35.99Current price is: $35.99.
Jayson L. –
Good modern introduction to UIKit-based iOS apps
This book provides a thorough, step-by-step introduction to Swift and iOS development, starting with the fundamentals of the language and Xcode before gradually building toward real-world app features. The early chapters do an excellent job explaining core Swift concepts like types, optionals, collections, and concurrency in a way that’s approachable. As the book progresses, it transitions smoothly into hands-on app development, guiding readers through building a complete app while covering UIKit, MVC, table views, and data flow between view controllers. I especially appreciated the discussion of modern topics like Swift concurrency and Liquid Glass design, which help the content feel current and forward-looking. Overall, this is a solid choice for beginners and intermediate developers who want both a strong Swift foundation and a practical path to shipping an iOS app.
Molly –
A book that gets what real iOS development looks like today (sans SwiftUI and that’s fine by me)
Don’t let the 1-star review about “outdated” tech scare you off.UIKit and Storyboards are NOT outdated in the real world—the world where you get paid to write software. Sure, SwiftUI is nice, but SwiftUI APIs still don’t cover even half of what UIKit can offer. While I don’t love Storyboards, I still use them almost daily. Legacy apps and systems that work and make money don’t care that you prefer writing “only the most cutting edge” code.For a beginner or intermediate reader, this book is GREAT.For a seasoned professional, it’s a very fast read with lots of sections you can skip because you know them well or already have solid opinions. But even then, you’ll come away with some fresh perspectives or ideas.Packt is hit or miss for me, and this is a HIT. If you buy it on their platform it’s much cheaper, with extras like an integrated learning AI.I paid over $700 for a single class back in college that was supposed to teach me iOS development. This book costs a fraction of that and you can finish it in half a semester if you’re totally new to iOS. Must buy.
Sai Ranga Reddy –
Good Read for Interview Brush Up
I often need a quick, reliable way to brush up on Swift and iOS concepts, whether for an interview or to learn something new. This book has quickly become my go-to. It covers everything from the basics to the latest iOS 26 features, and it is all very easy to follow.The core Swift chapters are great for a fast refresher on Swift essentials like types, optionals, functions, and closures. I can jump in, review what I need, and move on. It also does a solid job covering core patterns like MVC, UITableView, and UICollectionView, which always come up in interviews.Modern features like Swift Concurrency with async/await are explained clearly, making it easier to prepare for serious interviews. I also like how it organizes frameworks and key topics such as JSON and Codable, Core Location, MapKit, custom UI components, and iOS 26 updates like Liquid Glass, Genmoji, and Foundation Models.The practical examples, especially building the JRNL app, make everything feel real and easy to remember. For me, this is not just a book to read once, it is a handy reference I keep coming back to.
daniella –
Great for beginners
Claro 🙂 aquí tienes una versión más corta y natural en inglés:This book is a great introduction to UIKit and core iOS concepts. It explains the fundamentals clearly and in a well-structured way, making it ideal for beginners or developers who want to strengthen their iOS foundation.
Justin Nipper –
UIKit Storyboards and No SwiftUI
UIKit is still incredibly prevalent. The majority of apps are written with UIKit and you’ll find tons of it in many codebases you work with. The book does an excellent job showcasing it. All UI is done in Storyboards which is largely my biggest complaint. However, many codebases will use Storyboards but it is largely sidestepped for programmatic interfaces. However, it’s a skill worth knowing for legacy codebases which is a large portion of roles.Nonetheless despite it not being on the most bleeding edge, it’s still worth picking up.
Kevin Brown –
Disappointing choice of tech for 2025…. teaches legacy code, not the future.
I bought this book hoping for a modern introduction to iOS development, but I was shocked to find that it focuses almost entirely on UIKit. For a book released in December 2025, this is a major disservice to beginners.SwiftUI has been the standard for new Apple development for years now. While UIKit is still useful for maintaining old legacy apps, teaching it as the primary framework to new students in 2025 is backward. A beginner picking up this book will finish it knowing how to build apps the way they were built in 2018, not how they are built today in 2025!If you want to learn modern iOS development, look for a resource that prioritizes SwiftUI… this is not the book.
Samir Pandey –
Solid foundation for beginners!
This book is an excellent resource for anyone starting their iOS development journey. The hands-on approach of building a complete Journal app from the ground up and taking it all the way to the App Store is invaluable, teaching a critical skill every new developer needs. It does a great job of covering the fundamental concepts, providing beginners with a solid foundation to later tackle more advanced topics.While many new resources focus only on SwiftUI, it’s commendable that the author still demonstrates how to build UIs with UIKit and Storyboards. This knowledge is crucial, as many existing applications still rely on this framework. For a future edition, it would be beneficial to include a chapter on how UIKit and SwiftUI can interoperate, as this would be extremely helpful for developers who will inevitably work on apps that use both.Overall, this is a fantastic starting point that provides practical skills and a strong conceptual base for aspiring iOS developers. Highly recommended.