iPadOS 15 Allows You to Build iPhone and iPad Apps on an iPad

Apple today announced that iPadOS 15 features the ability to build iPhone and iPad apps directly on the ‌iPad‌ in the Swift Playgrounds app.

swift playgrounds app swift ui
In iPadOS 15, Swift Playgrounds features the ability to create ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ apps using Swift UI. Swift Playgrounds app project packages can also be opened and edited in Xcode on a Mac, giving users the option to develop apps across the ‌iPad‌ and Mac.

Code is immediately reflected in the live preview when building apps, and users can run their apps full screen to test them out. Created apps can be submitted to the App Store directly in Swift Playgrounds.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

When Is iPhone 17 Coming Out?

Thursday July 24, 2025 9:11 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September 2025. This release follows Apple's recent trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. To unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 16 New Features

Saturday July 26, 2025 5:50 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should launch in late September, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

Tipster: iPhone 17 Pro to Feature 8x Zoom, Pro Camera App, and More

Sunday July 27, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will have several new camera-related features, according to an anonymous tipster who contacted MacRumors today. The tipster claimed to be familiar with an iPhone 17 Pro commercial that is allegedly being produced by a film company that has publicly listed Apple as one of its clients. MacRumors has not independently confirmed any of the information shared ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Thursday July 24, 2025 7:08 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
Apple Partridge Creek

Apple Store in Michigan Permanently Closing Next Month

Saturday July 26, 2025 1:51 pm PDT by
Earlier this month, MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to permanently close its Partridge Creek store, just outside of Detroit, Michigan, and now the company has announced a closure date for the location. Apple Partridge Creek Apple Partridge Creek's final day of business will be Saturday, August 16, with the store set to close for good at 8 p.m. local time that day. All of ...
iOS 18

Apple Shares iOS 18.6 Release Notes

Thursday July 24, 2025 6:33 am PDT by
While the focus is now on iOS 26, there is still an iOS 18.6 update incoming. As noted by Aaron Zollo, Apple on Wednesday re-labeled iOS 18.6 Beta 4 as simply iOS 18.6, meaning that it is the Release Candidate version. This change effectively confirms that the update will be released to the public next week. Alongside the new label, Apple shared release notes for iOS 18.6, which is a...
iPhone 17 Colors

All 15 New iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Colors Leaked

Friday July 25, 2025 6:20 am PDT by
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September. MacRumors concept In a Macworld report this month, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. The report...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 16 New Features

Tuesday July 22, 2025 5:00 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models, as of July 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14...

Top Rated Comments

icymountain Avatar
54 months ago
"features the ability to build iPhone and iPad apps directly on an iPad"
-> Great start, hope going up...

"in Swift Playgrounds"
-> Big, big, big disappointment... :confused:
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ScreenSavers Avatar
54 months ago
This is likely to be a way easier learning curve than Xcode. Super exciting.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Slartibart Avatar
54 months ago

Boy oh boy, was I right ?
I am so sorry that your internet connection broke down… hope you can catch up when it’s running again. There is is definitively more. ?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
szw-mapple fan Avatar
54 months ago

"features the ability to build iPhone and iPad apps directly on an iPad"
-> Great start, hope going up...

"in Swift Playgrounds"
-> Big, big, big disappointment... :confused:
I think Swift playground is going to be used to test how development can work on iPad before full fledged Xcode is introduced.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Slartibart Avatar
54 months ago

Almost certain that this will require an M1 iPad.
Why should it?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unregistered 4U Avatar
54 months ago

Too bad you're probably right. Probably will have way too many "race to the bottom" apps rather high quality, AAA apps.
If a poorly produced fart App gives a budding programmer the vision that this is something they could do, then bring on the fart apps! I mean, it wasn’t like FaceBook in it’s initial implementation was supremely difficult to develop :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)