Apple is now officially expanding support for its Swift programming language to Android, marking a bold new chapter in cross platform development. The company has set up a dedicated Android Workgroup to make Swift a viable choice for developers building Android apps. This move aims to simplify how developers create mobile applications for both iOS and Android using a shared Swift codebase.
Swift is already used widely for building iOS applications and has support on Windows and Linux. By adding Android into the mix, Apple is opening up new possibilities for developers who want to streamline their workflows and reduce the complexity of maintaining two separate codebases. The newly formed Swift Android Workgroup will maintain and enhance Swift support for Android, establish platform support levels, and improve debugging tools. This group currently consists of ten members but is open to contributions from anyone in the community who is willing to participate.
One of the key advantages of this initiative is the potential for building iOS and Android apps simultaneously. Developers can use Swift for the entire application stack while retaining native user interfaces on both platforms. This creates room for tools like Skip, which already allow developers to write apps in Swift and SwiftUI that automatically generate Android compatible code using Jetpack Compose. With Apple now officially supporting Android through Swift, tools like these could become more reliable and performant.
The workgroup’s mission goes beyond compatibility. It plans to ensure developers can build native quality Android apps using the same language and logic they use for iOS. This could save time, money, and development effort for teams building apps for both major mobile ecosystems. It also makes Swift a more appealing choice for developers who have traditionally leaned towards Kotlin for Android.
The Swift for Android roadmap is available publicly on GitHub, where developers can track progress, test new updates, and contribute to its development. With official backing and a transparent roadmap, this move signals Apple’s broader ambition to make Swift a universal language for app development, not just an iOS first solution.
As Swift support on Android matures, the app development landscape is likely to shift in favor of unified workflows, improved performance, and shared expertise across platforms. This is not just a win for developers but a step toward a more collaborative and efficient mobile app ecosystem.
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