Top iOS App Development Trends Dominate in 2024

Every year, the world eyes on the latest development of Apple products. The newer features released with every latest model and version are revolutionary and they impact the overall iOS programming. Keeping an eye on the top iOS app development trends not only benefits iOS developers but also entrepreneurs who aim to build customized solutions for their businesses. Here we present the best trends for iOS app development in mind for your project.

Latest iOS App Development Trends for 2024 include:

Swift Language Advancement

Swift language advancement is one of the top iOS app development trends in 2024. Swift is likely to get a more modern, faster, and safer programming language enabling developers to build high-quality apps for all Apple devices. Some of the Swift language advancements that are expected to shape the iOS app development landscape in 2024 are:

• SwiftUI: It is a UI toolkit that would allow to creation of highly engaging User Interfaces for Apple devices utilizing declarative syntax and state-driven logic.
• Swift Package Manager (SPM): SPM will help manage dependencies and distribute code as reusable packages more efficiently and faster.
• Swift Concurrency: One of the trends in iOS development to watch out for in 2024 will be Swift concurrency which would enable programmers to write asynchronous and parallel code in a more structured and safer way.
• Swift for TensorFlow: In iOS app development trends for Apple devices, TensorFlow aims to make Swift a first-class language for ML and data science. It will leverage the expressiveness and performance of Swift. Hence, programmers will create dynamic graphs, run distributed training, and deploy models on multiple platforms.

iOS application development through Swift language will assure following benefits as a whole:

• Improved performance
• Enhanced security
• Increased productivity
• Cross-platform compatibility (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS as well as Linux and Windows)

Artificial Intelligence Integration

Artificial Intelligence Integration is the future of iOS app development. Some of the ways that AI will be integrated into iOS apps to make them perform and function well include:

• Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP shall grow in more understanding and generate natural language to enhance features like voice assistants, intelligent chatbots, sentiment analysis, and content summarization.
• Computer Vision (CV): CV in 2024 for iOS app development will advance in analyzing and manipulating visual data to enable features like face recognition, object detection, AR, and image editing.
• Machine Learning (ML): The development of iOS applications with ML in the future will allow apps to learn from data and improve more accurately in a shorter time. As a result, features in iPhones like detecting anomalies, predicting analytics, and customization shall improve drastically.

5G and Enhanced Connectivity

One of the trends in iOS app development is leveraging the benefits of 5G (and beyond) and supersonic connectivity. iPhone app developers will have the freedom to include awesome features with 5G+ as it will offer amazing speed with lower latency while maintaining higher bandwidth than previous Gs (Generations). 5G will enable iOS apps to render richer and more immersive experiences and integration of contemporary technologies including AI, VR/AR, and cloud gaming will be a lot easier. iPhone app development will be customized to accommodate the best features of edge computing to process data closer to the source hence reducing the dependency on centralized servers with improved performance and secured data transfer.

Cross-platform app development

Cross-platform app development is likely to continue as iOS app development trends. Entrepreneurs, especially younger ones, will continue to opt for affordable solutions for iOS apps. Cross-platform app development for iPhone and iPad apps will be a more liable and affordable option for startups in 2024 and beyond. Some of the cross-platform app development platforms that shall continue ruling in the coming years are –

Flutter

Known for its hot reload/restart features, fast performance, expressive user interface, and native-like UI, Flutter will continue to be a trend in building iOS apps. Flutter is expected to grow in popularity in 2024 as it has been trusted by corporate giants including Alibaba, Google Ads, eBay, and The New York Times.

React Native

The next in line shall be React Native, which enables to use native UI components and access device features including gyroscope, camera, and push notifications. React Native is likely to grow in its active community of developers and contributors. The rich ecosystem of libraries and tools will help enhance iOS app development in 2024, and beyond. The cross-platform app development platform will continue to support Windows and macOS platforms and it is also penetrating more with its futuristic features like Hermes engine and TurboModules.

SwiftUI

As iOS app development trends in the future, SwiftUI will simplify the customization of iOS apps as it will improve in concise and intuitive syntax for automatic support to induce dark mode and animations. This will enhance the accessibility of features and integrate Xcode seamlessly. iOS app developers will also use Swift UI to build cross-platform apps for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS with minimalistic programming. SwiftUI is expected to gain more traction in 2024 with its latest features: App Clips, Widgets, and ARKit.

Camera-focused Apps

One of the top iPhone mobile app development trends in 2024 will emerge with camera-focused features. These special iOS apps will leverage the most advanced camera features of the latest iPhone models. Utilizing the best native hardware camera features like optical zoom, night and portrait mode, and ultra-wide lens iPhone apps will revolutionize the customization for specific industries.

Camera-focused iOS apps are likely to grow in popularity and demand in 2024, as expressing audio-visual content creatively and visually is getting traction. Some of the camera-focused app features anticipated to get modernized include:

• Richer and more immersive UX with high-quality graphics and animations
• More accurate personality through styling
• More engagement and interaction with features like AV comments

Rise of the Internet of Things

The IoT is one of the top trends in 2024 because the technology is now involving as many devices, machines, and appliances as possible. IoT-enabled iPhone apps will enable users to control and monitor while interacting with various devices seamlessly. iPhones will be synchronized more accurately with smart home appliances, wearables, and industry machines. The future of iOS app development will also include IoT technologies in improving better control and functioning of smart cities and connected homes to industrial automation; hence, it’ll completely change how people live, interact, and work.

Another essential that this popular iOS app development trend would include is integration to help businesses optimize processes and reduce human hours while increasing agility by collecting real-time information from sensors and devices.

Specific to IoT, the iOS mobile app development future trends will include:

• Predicting user behavior
• Integration of AI with IoT
• AI-enabled face unlock
• AIOps for automating IT functions
• Smart camera with subject identification
• Adaptive battery for more battery lifespan
• High app reliability for cyber security

Wearable apps

Apple is known for its wearable devices. Wearable apps are likely to rise as trends in iOS development for 2024. Some of the improvements anticipated in the future include:

• Enhanced user engagement and retention through accurate and just-in-time (JIT) response/data and services.
• Increased user loyalty and satisfaction with a seamless and consistent UX across Apple devices.
• Wearable devices with more powerful iOS sensors and features providing pitch accurate and contextual data for better insights.

What will define the best practices for wearable iOS app development in 2024:

• Native tools and frameworks: Xcode and SwiftUI
• Apple design guidelines and principles
• Robust testing of apps on real devices and simulators
• Integrating wearable apps with other iOS features: Siri, HealthKit, Core Motion, iCloud, and so on.

It is worth noting that with the emergence of the Metaverse, the future of iOS app development shall include a digital universe wherein users will explore, socialize, work, and play with highly realistic wearable apps.

iBeacon Technology

Market experts also expect iBeacon Technology as one of the possible top iOS app development trends in 2024. iBeacon is likely to grow as a new way to connect with customers and improve their shopping experience.

The future iOS apps for enterprises leveraging iBeacon technology would include:

• To enhance customer engagement and loyalty by getting them relevant and timely information.
• To tailor recommendations and incentives to boost sales and conversions
• To improve customer satisfaction and retention through secure payment options
• To provide insightful analysis studying customer behavior and preferences

Voice User Interface (VUI)

Voice User Interface (VUI) is another hopeful iOS app development trend in 2024. VUI will facilitate users to interact with apps using voice commands more effectively and accurately. This will remove the dependency on touch or gestures; additionally, in 2024 iOS trends for VUI are set to be more natural and convenient making mobile apps more useful, especially for users with visual disabilities.

The future of iOS app development banking on VUI will include:

• Enhanced user engagement and experience
• Reduced cognitive load and friction
• Improved app accessibility and inclusivity
• More humanly Siri, Apple’s voice assistant

Blockchain technology

Blockchain technology has been a driving force behind cryptocurrencies; nonetheless, it will grow as one of the best iOS app development trends in 2024. The technology will be used for iPhones and iPads to have a transparent and secure app foundation while ensuring data integrity and trust among Apple device users. Blockchain technology will rise as iOS app development trends with the potential to revolutionize app’s functionalities in the coming years such as:

• Identity verification: Blockchain will provide a steadfast and immutable way to verify the user identity and thus will reduce the fraudulent risks.
• Data privacy: Blockchain will offer total control of data to users for sharing selectively with iOS apps. The technology is known for its security and privacy features.
• In-app payments: iOS app development using Blockchain will facilitate peer-to-peer payments within apps without any intermediaries or fees. The app business ideas in the coming year may have such new business models and revenue streams not just for app owners but also for developers.
• Smart contracts: Blockchain for iOS application development will enable the execution of self-enforcing agreements as per predefined scopes and rules. The futuristic apps with this facility would require no human intervention; thus, it will automatize and streamline most of the processes and tasks within the application including licensing, subscriptions, and rewards.

OpenAI Integration

With ChatGPT booming in almost all industries with its unbeatable features and accurate content generation, it is one of the top iOS app development trends in 2024. The OpenAI integration in iPhone apps with its Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will benefit developers and enterprises to access a wide range of AI models and features like NLP, computer vision, text generation, image creation, and much more.

OpenAI Integration in 2024 will enable to building of highly intelligent and interactive business applications that will understand and assist users in myriad domains and scenarios. Here are some examples wherein the OpenAI Integration trend will help to:

• Build iOS apps for foldable devices to adapt to multiple screen sizes and orientations
• Build iOS apps with machine learning for better cognition of devices
• Create iOS apps for the metaverse to have immersive and engaging content with AI-driven UIs
• Create apps for iPhones that will use generative AI to have highly customized images, videos, text, and even music
• Generate iOS apps with more reliability, risk handling, and better security management considering ethical AI principles and practices

The futuristic OpenAI-enabled iOS app development shall bring many benefits. It will reduce the app development time and cost with the help of pre-trained and ready-to-use AI models from the OpenAI API. Moreover, the technology will improve the iOS app quality and performance through state-of-the-art AI models. Industries would also use this trend by enhancing it with OpenAI tools that offer calculative and algorithmic features to address several business concerns and challenges in the competitive market.

AI App Ideas Using OpenAI for Business

Security Protocols

The noteworthy rise in hacking attacks has bereft the reputed image of the lucrative brand at the mercy of ordinary mistakes. Security is the topmost priority for all mobile applications out there.

Apple is known for its USPs and robust algorithm for the same. Its strict policies and vigilant, hardcore security layers prevent breaches in iOS devices.

With the launch of the latest iOS version in the market, Apple has been equipped with reliable security mechanisms and protocols. Now, developers can integrate App Transport Security(ATS) into their applications when connecting to web services for strong data protection and higher security.

Apple pay

Initially, Apple Pay had a slow start in its home market, the U.S., when it was launched in 2014, with only 1 in 10 of its users coming from the U.S. during that year. Fastrack 5 years, and in 2019 Apple Pay has overtaken Starbucks as the leading mobile payment app in the U.S.

It was almost 10 years ago when Tim Cook took the stage at Apple’s WWDC and introduced Apple Pay. With 507 million users worldwide, the global figures are expected to rise in 2024. Apple Pay is accepted at over 85% of retailers in the US making it feasible for contactless payments- from grocery stores to vending machines to subway stations and taxis.

Apple persisted with the idea, and its brand image as a secure brand helped in broadening the base of Apple pay. Four hundred thirty million iPhones in the world have installed Apple Payout of the billion odd iPhones according to a report.

As per Statista, Apple Pay has reached 48% of global iPhone users and is expected to average a transaction value of 28.20 USD in 2027.

Augmented reality and Virtual reality

Augmented reality is a hot new trend in the smartphone industry. Games like Pokemon Go have already shown the world what a smartphone and a great idea can do using AR.

Apple has launched the ARKit, which helps in building high-quality AR apps. With the launch of ARKit-6, the latest version of ARKit, Apple has given wings to develop creative iOS applications. There are many cool features in the ARKit that help to create life-like experiences for their users. Let’s discuss

People Occlusion

With people occlusion, AR content can be programmed to pass behind and in front of people realistically. Earlier the effects seemed unnatural, but with ARKit-6, Apple appears to have solved this issue. People’s occlusion helps in making the AR experience more real and immersive, giving the user a closer feel of being in the virtual world.

Motion capture

This feature allows one to capture a more realistic motion of a person by using only one camera! Those who have even a passing interest in AR will know how difficult it is to accurately mimic the body movements of a person using only one camera. Motion capture helps in accurately capturing small details of the motion of a body. It is then used as an input into the app, thus improving the iOS app to keep humans at the center of the AR experience.

Use front and back camera simultaneously

This feature opens up new possibilities to use the face as well as the back camera simultaneously. It can allow the users to interact with the AR content in the rear camera by using their faces.

Multi-face tracking

In the new ARKit-6, Apple has provided a feature called multiple face tracking, which allows to track up to 3 faces simultaneously by utilizing the right depth camera of Apple devices.

Collaborative sessions

This feature is especially helpful for multiplayer games; it enables collaborative sessions in AR, making the AR experience more productive.

Other Improvements

With the new ARKit-, the iPhone can now detect 100 images concurrently. The system also provides you with an accurate estimate of the physical size of the image, which makes 3-D mapping more accurate.

Reality composer

The reality composer feature of iOS helps in building brilliant life-like AR experiences. By using the live linking feature, the reality composer helps to move seamlessly between Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

RealityKit

It is a new framework that has camera effects and animations along with photo-realistic rendering capabilities. This framework has been primarily built by Apple for AR.

Apple has taken the game of AR application development a notch further by launching the USDZ(Universal Scene Description) format. This format supports rich animations like the ones which see on AR. All the new Apple devices with iOS 12 and above will be able to project these files automatically.

IKEA’s app allows you to see how furniture would look in your room; you can even see minute details like texture and color and have an accurate estimate of the size of the furniture.

With companies like IKEA adopting AR to showcase their products, the world is waking up to the possibility of using AR in severe commercial applications.

Thus we can see that Apple is making all the right noises when it comes to the field of AR.

The trend is expected to continue in the future.

Improved Sirikit

Siri, the smart digital assistant who had been launched with iOS 5, has been helping iPhone users set reminders, call cabs, know the weather, and ask useful questions.

Apple started giving out tools to integrate Siri into third-party apps from iOS 10. Apple has defined certain domains that an iOS app must contain to use Sirikit. The domains are:

VoIP calling, photos, Ride booking, Restaurant, Payments, Messaging, Workouts, Restaurant reservations, and Carplay.

With the popularity of voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant rising, Apple is equipping Siri with better capabilities to take on the competition.

Moreover, with iOS 13 Siri now has a more natural-sounding voice, you can notice the difference in Siri’s voice when she speaks longer phrases. Siri’s suggestions have been integrated into podcasts, maps, and the Safari browser. Thus Apple is following a strategy of spreading Siri to its products, and by opening up Siri to third-party developers, it has made clear that it wants Siri to proliferate faster.

Machine learning

Apple has released the Core ML-3, its machine learning SDK, which allows to build next-level machine learning apps.

Core ML-3 provides the luxury of building personalized machine learning experiences on-device. Apple has already prepared its devices for the future trend by installing A-series chips and Neural Engines in its devices. Apple wants to build sophisticated machine learning models on their devices without the need for complex coding.

The new Core ML-3 kit is equipped with features to allow for accurate object recognition in photos. The new Core ML-3 kit allows the models to be updated with user data on-device without the need to compromise the privacy of the user. Core ML-3 kit supports 100+ model layer types and can support advanced neural networks.

With Core ML-3, it is now much more comfortable to integrate computer vision capabilities into an iOS app. The core kit is loaded with features to identify differences between two similar images with great detail, integrate advanced face detection capabilities into their app.

In the new core kit, Apple has improved the landmark detection, rectangle detection, barcode detection, and image registration capabilities of iOS.

Deploying custom NLP models is way more comfortable now with the advanced text recognition engine of the Core ML-3 kit. The new features inducted include sentiment classification, word embeddings, and text catalog, which are available for languages like English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and simplified Chinese.

Advanced speech recognition capabilities such as utterance detection, acoustic features, streaming confidence, and pronunciation information have been included in the new core kit. These features allow the system to detect speech accurately.

Apple Homekit

Apple is seriously looking towards the smart home market, a market where it is considered a laggard. Apple has recently increased the size of its home kit team so that it can catch up with competitors like Google and Amazon.

The Apple Homekit is a system through which the user can control all their smart home devices via an Apple device. Apple knows the importance of being in sync with the customer in this vital market and hence is putting all the requisite efforts into improving the smart home experience with Apple devices.

Although the number of devices that can be connected to the home kit is presently limited, Apple is increasing the number of tools at a rapid pace. In the market, users can know which accessory will work by referring to a label that says, “works with Apple HomeKit.” Through the iOS app, users can manage many attachments simultaneously and even give commands to Siri and bundle various activities. For example, the user can program Siri to turn on mood lights, play soft music, and turn on the smart coffee maker when the user says, “Hey Siri, I am home.” This situation, where many commands are activated by using one power, is known as creating a scene in the Apple lexicon.

Top Mobile App Development Trends

Want to leverage the best trends in iOS app development?

Follow the trends and you follow the current market and consumer demands. Update yourself with all these top iOS app development trends and rethink the app you are likely to build. Integrate the best features from the latest iOS versions and Apple products to stay competitive in the market. For this, find the top iOS app development companies who keep themselves all eyes and ears with this latest stuff to improve your business practice up to the mark.