What is iOS app development?

Why build a native iOS app?

iOS is Apple's platform that powers iPhone and iPad, reaching millions of engaged users worldwide. The platform is known for strong monetisation, high retention, and a consistent OS ecosystem which simplifies QA and compatibility across devices.

Building natively for iOS gives you direct access to Apple's frameworks and features such as push notifications, in-app purchases, Face ID / Touch ID, widgets, background tasks, and smooth animations, all of which help deliver a premium, high-performance user experience. Native building also helps protect your intellectual property and provides a more secure environment for users.

iOS users tend to spend more on apps and services, and App Store distribution plus TestFlight for beta testing make it straightforward to iterate with real users before launch.

Bringing your vision to the Apple ecosystem

Our team has dedicated iOS developers who know the platform inside out. Building and supporting native iOS apps is what we’ve done day in, day out, over the last 12 years.

iOS is a “walled garden”. Apps have to be built to Apple’s rules in order to be let onto the App Store. Our experts know exactly what iOS is capable of - and more importantly what it isn’t. Some ideas are technically possible to create but would never be allowed to be distributed under Apple’s rules. We can provide expert guidance upfront on whether your idea is viable, and what changes might be needed to get it onto the store.

What an iOS app can and can't do...

iOS apps can access a wide range of device capabilities including camera, microphone, GPS, local storage via Core Data, biometric authentication, HealthKit, Apple Pay, and background processing within Apple’s guidelines. They can integrate with cloud backends, use push notifications, and deliver rich media experiences with low-latency audio and video.

However, iOS places strong emphasis on privacy and platform rules. Apps must pass App Store review to be distributed via the App Store. Certain behaviours - like background location tracking without clear user benefit, installing executable code at runtime, or accessing other apps' data - are either restricted or require careful justification and permission flows.

App Store policies and sandboxing mean some types of software (for example, general-purpose system utilities or apps that sidestep App Store distribution) are limited compared to desktop platforms. Apptaura guides you through these constraints so your product complies with Apple’s policies while delivering the features your users need.