10 iOS Trends 2024 You Need to Know

Are you an iOS app developer?

If yes, you will want to know the latest advancements in the iOS development trends.

According to recent research, the global market size for mobile applications was valued at USD 240 billion in 2023 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3%.

Dive further into the article as we explore the most relevant iOS trends in 2024 along with a sneak peek into what the future of this industry will hold.

The Top 10 iOS Trends for 2024

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI and ML have been the most talked about keywords this year.

The market size itself is predicted to rise above USD 1.8 trillion by 2030, according to Statista.

Integrating your iOS application with AI and ML can increase your business profits due to its high commercial viability.

From 2024 forward, AI will be the core technology powering iOS applications for regular consumers and enterprises.

In addition, AI and ML have become more accessible.

Open-source AI models, for example, GPT-4, have been streamlining the iOS application development process of generative AI.

Using iOS app development tools, Apple developers can seamlessly integrate ML, edge computing, or generative adversarial networks (GANs) into the applications.

From Natural Language Processing to image recognition, the types of features you can create with AI and ML are limitless.

For example, an AI-powered iOS application called “Spin Rewriter” uses NLP algorithms to help marketers and content writers create unique content without machine detection in the finished result.

Producing an AI-powered iOS application may not be as daunting as expected.

More and more engineers are well-versed in both AI and ML.

If you work with trusted iOS app development services such as Intelivita, you can accelerate your time-to-market with an AI-powered iOS application while saving costs in hiring.

2. Wearable Technology

When smartwatches entered the market, they instantly became a trend.

A pioneer in this development was the Apple Watch, which now accounts for half of the global smartwatch market revenue, per the report from the Economic Times.

Aside from smartwatches, wearables such as fitness trackers and exercise bands have been trendy not only in terms of fashion but also lifestyle.

The health and fitness category has consistently become one of the most visited pages in the App Store.

Through these apps, users can monitor their health, such as their heart rate or calorie intake, and exercise better.

Another popular progression in the health and fitness vertical is the rise of apps that increase well-being.

These apps come with features to track your sleep cycles and regulate your daily mood.

As the adoption of wearable technology increases, lifestyle apps will become an essential commodity that you should take part in.

3. Swift 6

One of the rising stars when talking about trends in iOS development is Swift 6.

This iOS programming language is the most exciting update to Swift.

The most successful iPhone apps that exist today – namely Slack, LinkedIn, and SkyGuide – are all built on Swift.

The latest release of Swift ensures improvements in terms of performance.

The new functions and attributes of Swift 6 will not only increase the versatility but also the user-friendliness of your iOS app.

Another reason why Swift has been rising as one of the key iOS development trends among mobile engineers is its easy-to-read syntax.

In other words, your iOS app can easily expand its reach through cross-platform compatibility.

This can be further improved with Swift’s module and API stability, helping developers focus on optimizing the quality of their app to become one of the best in the market.

4. Cross-Platform Development

Between iOS vs Android, which one should you target for your app development?

According to the latest iPhone app development trends: you should target both.

This is because one user may not only use an Apple, but also an Android device – whether it is a smartphone, tablet, or PC.

If you are looking to scale your iOS app, make sure to address all the customer segments.

iPhone application development tools, such as React Native and Swift, are compatible with the core Android mobile application framework Flutter.

Developers can efficiently deploy applications for iOS and Android platforms simultaneously.

By partnering with iOS app development services such as Intelivita, gain expert insights and strategize the technological roadmap of your project, ensuring cross-platform compatibility to future-proof your iOS solutions.

5. Security

Security has been the biggest concern for mobile users and businesses alike.

Cyberattacks can result in damaged reputations, financial loss, and compromised data.

For instance, ransomware can make an individual lose up to USD 4400.

Henceforth, iOS users have become more aware of the importance of security in the apps they use.

Between iOS vs Android, the former is more robust when dealing with data privacy and security.

Still, as an iOS app developer, more mitigation should be done.

Technologies such as AI have made it possible to develop highly secure iOS apps.

6. Apple Pay

One of the most significant iOS trends is Apple Pay.

Thanks to the convenience of digital payment, more and more users prefer paying electronically instead of the conventional way.

The good news is that Apple Pay is easy to integrate with iOS features and services.

If your business is in financial technology, connecting to Apple Pay allows you to offer one-click payments and utilize NFC (Near Field Communication) for instant transactions.

Additionally, the number of iOS and Apple Pay users continues to increase year-on-year.

Make sure that you aren’t missing out on this expansive opportunity.

6. NFT and Blockchain

NFT and Blockchain have been the hallmarks of technology and iOS development trends.

Users are more inclined than ever to invest in digital finance such as Bitcoin.

This is due to the decentralized nature of NFT that provides users with enhanced trust and privacy.

An example of an app that has been climbing the ladder in NFT and blockchain is Trust, a crypto and bitcoin wallet.

It has garnered over 60 million users.

However, there are more NFT and blockchain features not yet addressed in the financial technology sector of the iOS app development.

This is where your iOS software will come in.

The features that you can add are extensive.

Coupled with robust security, allow your users to manage cryptocurrencies and NFT collections and explore other iOS trends such as the metaverse, DeFi, and GameFi.

7. Voice Bots and Chatbots

An extension to AI, voice bots and chatbots have been the hype in iPhone app development trends.

Using voice bots, you no longer need to type.

Search any query using your voice and relevant search results will come up.

Businesses are also looking to diversify their customer service programs.

Aside from chatbots, many companies also use voice bots to improve customer retention and sales.

A survey conducted by PwC shows that 40% of customers prefer voice bots and chatbots so long as their requests are promptly addressed with no delay.

Both voice bots and chatbots also significantly reduce business costs.

Companies can cut their spending on hiring while saving time with automated interactions.

If you implement voice bots in your apps, the opportunity to scale to business-to-consumer (B2C) or business-to-business (B2B) verticals is immense.

Plus, as voice bots and chatbots become more complex, they will provide more valuable advancements.

This does not only apply to customer services but also to other fields, such as marketing, sales, and research.

8. Voice User Interface (VUIs)

Everyone is familiar with Siri, and this is one of the most popular examples of VUIs.

As with any other VUIs, Siri and Google Assistant come integrated with conversational AI, speech recognition, and natural language learning models.

As iOS developers, you can optimize the intelligence of your VUIs with techniques such as natural language processing to adapt to user choices and improve accessibility.

VUIs are in popular use, especially for helping with daily tasks.

They act as your assistant, helping you set a reminder, note down a to-do list, track a song you’ve just listened to, or even control your smart home.

9. IoT (Internet of Things)

Think of a feature that will turn off the lights in a room when no one is around. That is IoT.

It is the integration of electronics, from sensors to connectivity, into physical items, devices, vehicles, or even places.

IoT is one of the next-gen iOS trends.

An IoT-powered app allows users have more control over their smart homes – from setting the thermostats to implementing a full-blown security system.

10. Artificial or Virtual Reality (AR/VR)

AR/VR has been one of the most game-changing iOS trends.

Almost all industries are implementing AR/VR. AR in healthcare can help doctors diagnose and treat patients from afar.

In travel and tourism, AR/VR can help users immerse themselves in tourist destinations before they visit the place.

If you are planning to scale up your revenue streams, especially among enterprises, implementing AR/VR into your iOS apps is the way to go.