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Software & Cloud Development

iOS app development

When an app needs to feel at home on iPhone and iPad, or rely on Apple features such as Face ID, Apple Pay or Apple Pencil, native development is usually the right choice. We build iOS and iPadOS apps in Swift, publish them on the App Store or distribute them privately, and keep them current with each year's iOS release.

Discuss your project How the work is delivered

A good fit if

  • Most of your users or staff use iPhones or iPads.
  • The app depends on Apple-specific features, such as Face ID, Apple Pay, HealthKit, widgets, Apple Watch or Apple Pencil.
  • Staff use iPads in the field, on the shop floor or in clinics and need a purpose-built tool.
  • An existing Objective-C or older Swift app needs modernizing, stabilizing or new features.
  • You need to distribute an app privately to company-managed devices.

Another approach may suit you better if

  • You need iOS and Android with equal features on a limited budget. A cross-platform app may suit you better.
  • The app would mostly display content that a mobile-friendly website could show just as well.

What this service is

iOS app development is the design, build and release of native apps for iPhone and iPad using Apple's own languages and frameworks. Native apps give the smoothest performance, the fullest access to device features and the behaviour Apple users expect. We build new apps, extend existing ones and modernize older code, for customers and for staff.

What we build on iOS

  • Customer apps for accounts, bookings, ordering and payments, including Apple Pay and Sign in with Apple.
  • iPad apps for field and frontline work, such as inspections, clinical checklists, site reports and sales presentations, with Apple Pencil input where useful.
  • Apps that use device capabilities: camera and document scanning, barcode reading, location, Bluetooth accessories, HealthKit (with consent) and notifications.
  • Widgets and Apple Watch companions that surface key information without opening the app.

Our tools are Swift, SwiftUI and UIKit, with Xcode, TestFlight and automated build pipelines. We also maintain Objective-C code and migrate it to Swift over time.

Rescuing and modernizing existing apps

Many organizations have an iOS app that has fallen behind: crashes after an iOS update, dependencies that are no longer maintained, an ageing Objective-C codebase or a developer who has moved on. We start with a technical review of the code, crash reports and store feedback, stabilize the most urgent problems, then modernize in stages so the app keeps working for your users throughout. The review is written down, so you can decide how far to go.

Enterprise and private distribution

Many iOS apps are for internal use and should never appear in the public App Store. Apple Business Manager allows custom apps to be distributed privately to your organization, and a device management tool such as Microsoft Intune can install and configure them automatically on company-owned devices. Because Promatics also provides managed IT services, we can align app deployment with how your devices are enrolled and secured. Staff sign in with their existing work accounts through Microsoft Entra ID or another identity provider.

Quality, accessibility and privacy

We follow Apple's Human Interface Guidelines, test on real devices, and check accessibility with VoiceOver and Dynamic Type. Apple requires apps to disclose the data they collect, and some apps must include a privacy manifest; we prepare these from what the app actually does. Privacy obligations under PIPEDA and provincial laws, including PHIPA for health information in Ontario, shape what the app collects. Where your users are bilingual, the app is localized in English and French. This is general information, not legal advice.

Keeping apps current

Apple releases a major iOS version every year, and App Store requirements change with it. We plan maintenance around that cycle so your app keeps working and keeps meeting store rules. If you also need Android, see Android app development, or consider hybrid and cross-platform app development to share code across both. Managed-service clients can include the app's backend in 24/7 monitoring and support, with response targets set in the service agreement.

What is included

The exact list is agreed in writing for each project. These are the usual deliverables and the usual boundaries.

Typical deliverables

  • A discovery summary or a technical review of your existing app, with prioritized recommendations.
  • Designs that follow Apple's Human Interface Guidelines and your brand.
  • The app built in Swift and SwiftUI, with UIKit where needed.
  • Maintenance or gradual migration of existing Objective-C code.
  • Sign-in with your identity provider or Sign in with Apple, and credentials held in the iOS Keychain.
  • Push notifications, crash reporting and analytics that respect consent choices.
  • Beta testing through TestFlight.
  • App Store submission, or private distribution through Apple Business Manager.
  • Accessibility support for VoiceOver and Dynamic Type, plus the required privacy disclosures.

Not included unless agreed separately

  • The Apple Developer Program membership fee and any test devices.
  • Device management licences and fleet configuration, unless included through managed IT services.
  • Backend systems outside the agreed scope.
  • Ongoing support after handover, unless covered by a separate agreement.

What we will need from you

Most delays in this kind of work come from access and decisions, not from the technical build. Knowing these early keeps the project predictable.

  • An Apple Developer account in your organization's name, and Apple Business Manager if distributing privately.
  • Access to the APIs and systems the app must use.
  • Test devices, or approval to use ours, covering the iOS versions you support.
  • A product owner who can approve designs and releases.
Delivery

How the work is delivered

Each stage ends with something you can review before the next one starts.

  1. Discover or review

    For a new app, define users, features and a first release. For an existing app, review code quality, crashes, dependencies and store feedback.

    Output: Discovery summary or technical review.

  2. Design

    Design screens that follow Apple's conventions and your brand, and test a prototype with users.

    Output: Approved designs and prototype.

  3. Build

    Develop in Swift in short iterations, sharing TestFlight builds on real devices as features arrive.

    Output: TestFlight builds.

  4. Test and release

    Test across devices and iOS versions, check accessibility and privacy disclosures, then submit to the App Store or distribute privately.

    Output: Released app.

  5. Maintain

    Plan updates around each year's iOS release, keep dependencies current and act on crash reports.

    Output: Maintenance plan and regular updates.

Testing and handover

  • Builds are tested on real iPhones and iPads across the iOS versions you support.
  • VoiceOver, Dynamic Type and colour contrast are checked on key screens.
  • Sensitive data is kept in the Keychain or encrypted storage, never in plain files or logs.
  • The privacy manifest and App Store privacy details match what the app actually collects.
  • Certificates, provisioning profiles, the App Store Connect account and source code are held in your organization's name.

What affects the cost

We do not publish package prices. Each estimate is based on an agreed scope, in Canadian dollars, with taxes shown separately. These are the things that move the number most:

  • The number of screens and features.
  • Apple-specific features such as Apple Pay, HealthKit, widgets or Apple Watch.
  • The condition of existing code, if modernizing an app.
  • Integrations with backends and other systems.
  • The range of devices and iOS versions supported.

Questions buyers usually ask

SwiftUI or UIKit?

SwiftUI is our default for new screens because it is Apple's current direction and needs less code. UIKit is still the right tool for some complex screens and for existing apps, and the two work together, so we mix them where it makes sense.

Can we distribute an app only to our staff?

Yes. Apple Business Manager supports private distribution of custom apps to your organization, usually combined with a device management tool such as Microsoft Intune. Apple's Enterprise Program is another route, with stricter eligibility rules.

Which iOS versions should we support?

Usually the current version and one or two before it, which covers most active devices. For staff apps you can match the versions your devices run. Supporting older versions adds testing cost, so we decide this with you.

Can you take over our existing Objective-C app?

Yes. We review the code, stabilize it and then migrate screens to Swift gradually, so the app keeps working throughout. A full rewrite is only recommended when the review shows it is cheaper.

What about the Android version?

We can build a matching native Android app, or discuss whether a cross-platform framework would serve both platforms better.

Service

Android app development

Native Android apps in Kotlin for phones, tablets and rugged devices, published on Google Play or deployed privately through Android Enterprise.

Service

Mobile app development

One app taken from idea to the App Store and Google Play, through discovery, design, build, testing, release and improvement based on real use.

Building or rescuing an iOS app?

Tell us what the app should do, who uses it and whether you have existing code. We will reply to arrange a conversation before anything is priced.

Discuss an iOS app