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The Top 10 Resources to Learn Swift in 2026
If you’re aiming for a career in iOS or cross-platform Apple development in 2026, there’s no better place to start than Swift — Apple’s fast-evolving, modern, and increasingly platform-agnostic language. With the rise of AI-assisted coding tools and Swift’s expansion beyond Apple platforms, the demand for developers who understand the language deeply has never been higher.
But with so many courses, tutorials, books, and apps competing for your attention, where should you begin?
This updated 2026 guide highlights the top 10 resources for learning Swift today, from foundational materials to long-form programmes and technical deep-dives. After the list, you’ll also find a strategic approach to learning Swift in a world where AI is now embedded into every developer’s workflow.
1. Swift.org — The Official Source
There’s still no substitute for the official home of the Swift language. Swift.org contains everything from the language guide and standard library documentation to compiler updates, proposal discussions, and previews of upcoming language features.
For beginners, the essential starting point is The Swift Programming Language book. It’s free, constantly updated, and reflects the direction of the language today — especially important as Swift continues expanding on Apple platforms, Linux, and even community-led Android support.
This remains your core foundation in 2026.
2. Apple’s Swift Playgrounds (Now More Powerful Than Ever)
Swift Playgrounds has grown significantly over the past few years. The 2026 version allows you to build full SwiftUI apps, preview code in real time, and export directly to Xcode.
It’s still visually engaging and beginner-friendly, but it now offers a more powerful environment for experimenting with Swift syntax, logic, and UI layouts — all without requiring a full Mac setup.
Great for absolute beginners, hobbyists, and students.
3. Hacking with Swift (Paul Hudson)
Paul Hudson remains one of the most trusted educators in the Swift community. In 2026, Hacking with Swift continues to shine for its clear explanations, comprehensive projects, and practical approach to building real apps.
Whether you’re learning the basics or diving into concurrency, SwiftData, or SwiftUI 3, this resource will remain relevant throughout your entire career.
4. Udemy Swift Courses
Udemy’s Swift catalog remains one of the largest and most frequently updated in 2026.Its benefits:
Step-by-step structure
Long-form video walkthroughs
Lifetime access
Large student communities
Regular discounts
If you prefer learning through structured video content — and you’re motivated by having a clear path — Udemy is still a strong option.
5. 3 Days of Swift — The Fastest Way to Build a Strong Foundation
Website | Course | Swift Study Guide | Swift Cheatsheet
If your goal is to learn Swift quickly and properly, 3 Days of Swift continues to be one of the most efficient programs available in 2026.
Unlike many other courses that jump straight into UI tutorials, this programme focuses first on the language itself — syntax, logic, data structures, memory, optionals, protocols, enums, and core Swift behaviours.
And this matters more than ever. 👉 Start Now
Why? Because in 2026, AI is writing more and more SwiftUI code.
Recruiters and hiring managers know this. So interviewers now focus heavily on the underlying Swift language to filter out candidates who rely solely on AI-generated UI code.
That makes the smartest strategy:
Learn Swift deeply (Swift.org + 3 Days of Swift).
Apply for junior roles with confidence in interviews.
Use AI on the job strategically to generate SwiftUI layouts, boilerplate, and repetitive code.
Continue learning advanced app development in parallel over 3–6 months.
With a strong Swift foundation, everything else becomes easier — even when using AI tools.
Start Learning Swift now — Start Here.
6. Codecademy’s Interactive Swift Track
Codecademy still offers one of the cleanest browser-based learning environments. It’s ideal for:
Learners who prefer typing code in the browser
Bite-sized lessons with instant feedback
Beginners who want to see progress quickly
While not as deep as some other programs, it’s a great way to build confidence with the basics.
7. Kodeco (formerly Ray Wenderlich)
Now known as Kodeco, this platform continues to be a go-to destination for intermediate and advanced Swift content. The tutorials and courses are polished, visual, and highly practical.
Perfect for learning:
App architecture
Async/await
SwiftData
SwiftUI patterns
iOS frameworks
Game development in Swift
If you’re serious about going from “I know Swift” to “I can build full production-ready apps,” Kodeco is essential.
8. Stanford CS193p — Developing Apps for iOS
This iconic course is still updated and freely available in 2026.Taught by Stanford professors, it covers:
App structure
SwiftUI
State management
MVVM
Real app-building workflows
Take this course once you understand Swift fundamentals. It will teach you how to think like an iOS developer.
9. YouTube Tutorials (Sean Allen, CodeWithChris, iOS Academy, etc.)
YouTube remains one of the most vibrant ecosystems for Swift content.Creators like Sean Allen, CodeWithChris, iOS Academy, and Let’s Build That App regularly release tutorials, app demos, interview prep videos, and SwiftUI deep-dives.
Best for:
Visual learners
Quick topic refreshers
Step-by-step project builds
Staying updated with new iOS frameworks
It’s also completely free.
10. Developer Blogs & Medium Articles
The iOS development world continues to move fast. Independent developers often publish insights months before new books or courses update.
Whether it’s architecture tips, SwiftData examples, new interview patterns, or iOS 18/19 features, these blogs help you stay on the cutting edge.
Never underestimate how much you can learn from experienced developers sharing their thinking in writing.
Final Thoughts: The Smart Way to Learn Swift in 2026
Swift is more powerful, widespread, and AI-integrated than ever.But this also means the expectations during interviews have increased.
AI can help you:
Generate SwiftUI views
Produce boilerplate code
Solve layout problems
Refactor existing code
But AI cannot save you if you don’t understand:
Optionals
Value vs reference semantics
Protocols and generics
Memory behaviour
Concurrency
Swift’s type system
Interviewers know this.That’s why the best strategy in 2026 is:
1. Master Swift itself.
Use Swift.org, 3 Days of Swift, and the foundational materials.
2. Apply for jobs as soon as you learn the language deeply.
Don’t wait until you’ve built 10 apps — knowledge of Swift itself is what matters most.
3. Use AI wisely.
Let it help with SwiftUI, layouts, previews, boilerplate, and explaining code.But keep learning the fundamentals yourself.
4. Keep building long-term skills.
Use Hacking with Swift, Stanford, and Kodeco to grow into a well-rounded, employable developer.
In 2026, the developers who win are the ones who combine:
Deep Swift knowledge
Strategic learning
AI efficiency
Consistent practice
Master those four pillars, and you’ll be ready not just for interviews — but for the future of iOS development.
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Swift Online Course
Also, as an additional bit of help 3DaysOfSwift has a free online 3-day course written by a successful iOS Developer with almost two decades experience in iOS.
3 Day Online Swift Course (written by senior iOS Developers)
Learn Swift and enrol in our 3-day online course. We have 3 days of instructional videos pair programming with our experienced instructor and Senior iOS Developer who guides you through writing code for each main language feature of Swift. There is extra coding practice too (with no videos so it's faster).
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Swift Study Guide
Also, as an additional bit of help 3DaysOfSwift has the Swift Study Guide (listed below and to download), which is a list of Swift language features each iOS Developer should know before applying for jobs in the tech industry.
List of Swift Language Features
Download the list of topics (Swift language features) you will be required to know in order to pass an interview for an iOS Developer role.
Download
Beginner Topics
Topic 1: The Basics & Foundational Types
Topic 2: Control Flow
Topic 3: Optionals
Topic 5: Classes
Topic 6: Structs
Topic 7: Enums
Topic 8: Value Types & Reference Types
Topic 9: ARC (Automatic Reference Counting)
Mid-level Topics
Topic 10: Extensions
Topic 11: Protocols
Topic 12: Concurrency
Topic 13: Error Handling
Topic 14: Generics
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Swift Career Tips 🚀
Also, as an additional bit of help 3DaysOfSwift has outlined a few career tips that might help as you start your journey as an iOS Developer applying for jobs writing software for Apple devices.
Tips 🚀
Below we have included a few career tips to help get you started as a Junior iOS Developer working in the tech industry.
Focus on learning the Swift language itself. Most team members start their learning journey by studying Xcode and building apps. It's a lot of information and plenty to get confused about. Most of your colleagues will have many gaps in knowledge that affect their every-day anxiety with completing tasks and having it reviewed by others. Instead, why not become the one of the reviewers? Our advice is to stand out in the tech industry and if you want to stand out I would suggest becoming very knowledgable about the language itself; Every single developer will be using it and they will all be competing over Architecture and not the best use of language features. Armed with an incredible understanding of the language you will have the confidence in knowing you can maintain any existing product on the market.
Gather "Career Things" like they were collectibles in a game. This easy-to-remember and rather broad term is a great bit of advice. Too many engineers let the months go by without really taking on board many exciting projects or doing anything that wows any one. This is a terrible idea in every way. Stand out. Be the best at something (like understanding the language). When you change positions and apply to a different company you will have an interview and they'll grill you with many questions. The main bits to know are these; Your CV gets you the interview. You display your worth in the interview.
Your CV gets you the interview: Your short 2 page bullet-pointed CV is simply a list of amazing things you did to improve the team, the social element, the code quality, the income, how you increased user retention, how you added a successful feature and improved the app. You must collect career things.
You display worth in the interview: In the interview you want to fill the hour with saying similar phrases non-stop to "I was able to tweak the values and affect the income of the product simply by reducing the friction of the onboarding and providing a more seamless and pleasant user experience for the user. We now have only a 14% drop compared to most companies that have around 30% typically." Notice how you use "we" when referring to your current company in interviews. To simplify the phrase just-used, "I helped my company move forward. I improved the product, which led to an increased user experience and ultimately more profits for the company. I am a team player and I will improve your company at every opportunity possible."
Become confident in Interviews. You are now a talented Swift engineer who understands the Swift language and has a list of successful results you can pull out of the bag and discuss and any interview. You are constantly and infinitely talking about specifics of the Swift language and how cool and useful it is. You are stacking up one example after another of how you affected the results of the team and the company. You are great at telling these stories. The world is your oyster and you can be confident in your abilities as well as your choices in life.
Move company every 2 years. Ask for a £10,000 increase. When you become bored at your current job because you know too much think about moving, upgrading your job title and doubling your annual salary.
Be driven and be proud that you help keep the world moving by maintaining the digital services we all love and are constantly glued to.
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