8 SwiftUI Books That Boost Your App Development Skills

Recommended by Greg Lim, Juan C Catalan, and Stephen DeStefano—these SwiftUI books offer practical guidance and proven techniques.

Updated on June 24, 2025
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What if mastering SwiftUI could come down to the right book guiding your hands? SwiftUI has quickly reshaped how developers build apps across Apple’s platforms, promising cleaner code and faster development. But with so many resources out there, finding the books that truly sharpen your skills can feel like a maze.

Look at Greg Lim, a technologist whose teaching emphasizes learning by doing—his SwiftUI books walk you through building real apps like BMI calculators and cryptocurrency trackers. Or consider Juan C Catalan, a developer with nearly two decades of mobile expertise, whose work guides you through advanced animations and state management in SwiftUI 5. Their experiences reveal how the best books blend practical challenges with the latest SwiftUI updates.

While these expert-curated books provide proven frameworks, readers seeking content tailored to their specific experience level, learning goals, or SwiftUI subtopics might consider creating a personalized SwiftUI book that builds on these insights and fits your unique development journey.

Best for mastering advanced SwiftUI techniques
Juan C. Catalan is a seasoned software engineer with over 18 years of experience in mobile development, contributing to more than 30 apps with millions of users. His deep expertise across industries such as medical devices and financial services informs this detailed guide to SwiftUI 5 and Swift 5.9. Catalan’s practical focus on advanced UI controls, animations, and multi-platform development offers you a reliable path to mastering SwiftUI for iOS 17, macOS 14, and watchOS 10.
2023·798 pages·SwiftUI, Swift, iOS Development, Animations, State Management

After nearly two decades in mobile development, Juan C. Catalan brings his extensive industry experience to this third edition, reflecting the latest SwiftUI 5 and Swift 5.9 features. You’ll learn how to leverage advanced animations, custom modifiers, and sophisticated state management techniques to create polished, interactive apps across iOS, macOS, and watchOS platforms. The inclusion of Swift Charts opens doors to dynamic data visualization, while practical chapters cover multi-column tables and two-dimensional layouts, helping you build versatile user interfaces. This book suits developers familiar with Swift who want to deepen their SwiftUI skills and those transitioning from UIKit seeking a modern approach.

Published by Packt Publishing
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Best for hands-on multi-platform projects
Frahaan Hussain is a three-time published author and educator with over half a million students and tens of thousands of YouTube followers. Top of his class and a former university module leader, Frahaan’s hands-on expertise with clients like Google informs his teaching. His book channels this experience into practical projects across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, making it a solid guide for developers ready to elevate their SwiftUI skills through real application building.
2023·268 pages·SwiftUI, Swift, Mac App Development, User Interface, Project-Based Learning

After establishing himself as a top graduate and module leader in computer games programming, Frahaan Hussain leverages his deep academic and industry experience to guide you through building four distinct applications across Apple platforms. You’ll explore practical implementations of SwiftUI and Xcode 14, moving beyond theory to hands-on projects including a tax calculator for iPhone and a photo gallery for iPad. The book demystifies creating interfaces for devices ranging from Apple Watch to Mac, showing how SwiftUI adapts to different screen sizes and use cases. If you’re already familiar with Swift basics and Apple development, this resource sharpens your UI skills by immersing you in real-world design and coding challenges.

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Best for custom SwiftUI learning
This AI-created book on SwiftUI mastery is tailored to your current skills and development goals. You share your experience level, the specific SwiftUI topics you want to focus on, and your project ambitions. The book is then crafted to match your needs, making complex concepts approachable and relevant. Personalizing the content ensures you spend time learning exactly what matters most for your app development journey.
2025·50-300 pages·SwiftUI, App Architecture, State Management, Animations, Cross Platform

This personalized book explores the full scope of SwiftUI, tailored to your background and development goals. It covers foundational concepts and dives into advanced topics like state management, animations, and cross-platform app design. By focusing on your specific interests and skill level, this tailored guide helps you navigate SwiftUI’s evolving features efficiently, providing clear explanations and practical examples that align with your learning path. The book reveals how to build polished, responsive interfaces and integrates the latest SwiftUI capabilities to match your development ambitions. Through this customized approach, you engage deeply with the SwiftUI framework in a way that resonates with your unique experience and goals, making complex concepts accessible and relevant. It transforms your learning journey into a focused exploration that bridges broad expertise with personal application.

Tailored Content
SwiftUI Optimization
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for practical SwiftUI beginners
Greg Lim is a technologist and author with extensive experience teaching programming at tertiary institutions. His emphasis on learning by doing shapes this guide, which strips away fluff and focuses on building real iOS 17 apps with SwiftUI and Xcode 15. His clear, hands-on approach is designed to get you coding quickly and confidently, making it a practical resource for anyone starting in iOS development.
2023·131 pages·SwiftUI, iOS Development, Xcode, Swift, iOS

After years of teaching programming, Greg Lim developed this book to make iOS 17 development accessible without drowning you in unnecessary details. You'll learn to build practical apps starting with a body mass index calculator, advancing through to persistent data handling with SwiftData, and finally publishing your app to the App Store. The book emphasizes hands-on coding and breaks down complex ideas into manageable sections, perfect if you have basic programming knowledge but are new to iOS development. If you want a focused, practice-driven guide to mastering SwiftUI and Xcode 15, this approach keeps you engaged and productive without feeling overwhelmed.

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Best for developers focusing on animations
Stephen DeStefano is a long-time iOS, macOS, and watchOS instructor known for his clear and approachable teaching style. His experience creating a SwiftUI course that guides learners from beginner to expert shines through in this book, which focuses on making complex animation concepts accessible. By combining callouts, highlights, and graphics, he ensures you can follow the flow of code easily, making this a valuable resource for anyone aiming to master animations across Apple’s platforms.
2023·478 pages·SwiftUI, iOS Development, iOS, Animation, Declarative Programming

Stephen DeStefano, a seasoned instructor in iOS and Apple platform development, crafted this book to deepen your skills in SwiftUI animations by blending theory with hands-on projects. You'll move beyond basic declarative programming to mastering animatable properties like hueRotation, opacity, and scale, culminating in advanced techniques such as integrating physics and SpriteKit effects like wind and particle emitters. The progression from simple circle animations to complex cross-platform scenes ensures you gain practical experience aligning animations across devices using GeometryReader. This book is particularly suited to developers familiar with Swift who want to elevate their UI with dynamic, engaging animations, though absolute beginners might find it challenging without prior Swift knowledge.

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Best for solid foundational SwiftUI knowledge
Neil Smyth is a seasoned author known for his expertise in programming and software development. He has written numerous books on various programming languages and frameworks, including Swift and SwiftUI. With a focus on practical applications and clear explanations, Neil aims to make complex topics accessible to readers of all skill levels, which underpins the value of this book for anyone looking to build iOS apps using SwiftUI.
2019·340 pages·SwiftUI, iOS Development, Xcode, Swift, iOS

What happens when a seasoned software author meets SwiftUI development? Neil Smyth, with his extensive experience writing on programming languages, crafted this guide to help you master iOS app creation using SwiftUI, Swift 5, and Xcode 11. You'll start by setting up your environment and exploring Swift Playgrounds, then dive into Swift's core features like property wrappers and error handling. The book walks you through building custom views, managing state, animations, and even integrating SwiftUI with UIKit projects. If you want a solid foundation in modern iOS development tools, this book lays out the skills clearly, though it suits those comfortable with programming basics rather than absolute beginners.

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Best for personal app launches
This AI-created book on accelerated SwiftUI development is tailored to your skill level and app-building goals. You share your background, the SwiftUI topics you want to focus on, and your target outcomes, and the book is crafted to guide you through building and publishing your app quickly. This personalized approach ensures you learn the parts most relevant to you, cutting through generic advice to accelerate your journey from concept to launch.
2025·50-300 pages·SwiftUI, SwiftUI Basics, App Architecture, User Interface, State Management

This personalized book explores the essentials of accelerated SwiftUI learning with a hands-on approach tailored to your background and goals. It covers foundational SwiftUI concepts and guides you through practical app-building techniques, focusing on real-world challenges that match your interests. The content reveals step-by-step processes to construct and publish functional apps swiftly, emphasizing a learning experience designed just for you. By addressing your specific skill level and objectives, this book bridges expert knowledge with your personal journey, making complex SwiftUI topics accessible and engaging. It guides you through a curated path that accelerates your app development confidence and proficiency.

Tailored Guide
SwiftUI Launch Pathway
1,000+ Happy Readers
Best for step-by-step iOS app creation
Greg Lim is a technologist and author of several programming books. He has many years of experience teaching programming in tertiary institutions and emphasizes learning by doing. This background informs his approachable style in the book, aiming to guide you through iOS 16 development with practical, bite-sized lessons that prioritize coding over theory.
2023·255 pages·iOS Development, SwiftUI, Xcode, Swift, iOS

What if everything you thought about learning iOS development was too complicated? Greg Lim, a seasoned technologist with extensive teaching experience, cuts through the clutter with a hands-on approach that gets you coding from chapter one. You'll build practical apps like a BMI calculator and a cryptocurrency tracker, exploring key tools including Xcode, SwiftUI, ARKit, and Core Data along the way. This book suits those with basic programming know-how aiming to grasp iOS 16 app development efficiently without unnecessary detours. It’s less about theory and more about building usable skills step-by-step, making it ideal if you want to create and publish your own app within a manageable learning curve.

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Best for advanced SwiftUI architecture
Michele Fadda, an Italian software developer with over 30 years of experience across telematics, medical, banking, and financial sectors, brings a wealth of expertise to this detailed SwiftUI guide. Starting programming at age 14, Michele has contributed to critical projects involving embedded systems and mobile development, pioneering techniques in object-oriented programming and cryptography. His seasoned background informs the book’s focus on clean architecture, asynchronous programming, and UIKit integration, making it a valuable resource for iOS developers seeking to harness SwiftUI's capabilities effectively.
2024·446 pages·SwiftUI, iOS, Swift, iOS Development, Mobile Development

Michele Fadda leverages over three decades of hands-on software development experience, especially in iOS and Swift, to guide you through mastering SwiftUI with this book. You’ll explore practical concepts like app architecture, asynchronous programming, and UIKit integration, progressing from basic UI elements to complex, responsive interfaces and advanced concurrency techniques. The book dives into real-world challenges such as persistent data management with Core Data and modern structured concurrency, equipping you to build maintainable, high-performance applications. If you're transitioning from UIKit or aiming to deepen your SwiftUI expertise, this book provides a thorough, well-structured approach without unnecessary jargon or fluff.

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Best for newcomers seeking practical basics
Greg Lim is a seasoned technologist and author with years of experience teaching programming at tertiary institutions. His emphasis on learning by doing shapes this book’s hands-on, approachable guide to SwiftUI development, designed to equip you with practical skills to build and publish iOS apps efficiently.
Beginning SwiftUI book cover

by Greg Lim··You?

2021·150 pages·SwiftUI, Swift, iOS Development, Core Data, CloudKit

Greg Lim, with extensive experience teaching programming at tertiary institutions, crafted this book to make SwiftUI approachable and practical. You’ll gain hands-on skills building iOS 14 apps, starting with simple projects like a BMI calculator and progressing to more advanced topics such as Core Data integration, CloudKit, and even machine learning with Core ML. The book’s bite-sized chapters focus only on essentials, ensuring you avoid overwhelm and develop confidence in app creation and deployment. Whether you’re new to iOS or have basic programming knowledge, this book guides you through SwiftUI development with a clear, learn-by-doing approach.

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Conclusion

These 8 SwiftUI books converge on a few key themes: practical, project-based learning; embracing the latest SwiftUI updates; and balancing foundational knowledge with advanced techniques like animations and app architecture. If you’re just starting, books like "Beginning SwiftUI" and Greg Lim’s guides offer a gentle yet thorough introduction.

For those aiming to deepen or broaden their skills quickly, combining "SwiftUI Cookbook" with "Elevate SwiftUI Skills by Building Projects" delivers a mix of advanced techniques and real-world application. Developers focusing on engaging user experiences will find "Animating SwiftUI Applications" invaluable.

Alternatively, you can create a personalized SwiftUI book to bridge the gap between general principles and your specific situation. These books can help you accelerate your learning journey and build apps that stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm overwhelmed by choice – which SwiftUI book should I start with?

Start with "Beginning SwiftUI" or Greg Lim’s "iOS 17 Development Crash Course." Both offer practical, approachable introductions that guide you through building real apps step-by-step, perfect for easing into SwiftUI without getting lost.

Are these books too advanced for someone new to SwiftUI?

Not at all. Several books, like "Beginning SwiftUI" and Greg Lim’s titles, are designed for newcomers, focusing on hands-on learning with clear explanations. More advanced books are available once you’re comfortable with the basics.

What’s the best order to read these books?

Begin with foundational guides like "Beginning SwiftUI" or "SwiftUI Essentials." Once you’re confident, move to project-based and advanced topics with "Elevate SwiftUI Skills by Building Projects" and "SwiftUI Cookbook." For animation focus, explore "Animating SwiftUI Applications."

Do these books assume I already have experience in SwiftUI?

Some do, but many are beginner-friendly. For example, Greg Lim’s books and "Beginning SwiftUI" start from the basics, while others like "An iOS Developer's Guide to SwiftUI" expect familiarity and focus on deeper architectural concepts.

Which book gives the most actionable advice I can use right away?

"iOS 17 Development Crash Course" and "Elevate SwiftUI Skills by Building Projects" emphasize practical app-building and coding exercises, letting you apply what you learn immediately in real-world projects.

Can I get a SwiftUI book tailored specifically to my learning goals and experience?

Yes! While these expert books cover a wide range of topics, you can create a personalized SwiftUI book tailored to your background and objectives, bridging expert knowledge with your unique needs for faster learning.

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