Amazing iOS Communities Every iOS Developer Should Join
Whether you’re just starting to experiment with iOS or you’re an old hand, it can never hurt to have some support. To that end, the best place to look for help is usually an iOS community. Communities are often online affiliations of developers where fellow programmers offer guiding tips, sample code, and assistance with bugs, among other things. Joining communities can help you take your coding to the next level and, as a bonus, can be a lot of fun! You can see how other people go about solving the same problems, and expand your understanding of programming. It can also be nice just to expose yourself to the immensity of the programming community — us developers spend so much time alone with our computers that we often forget that there are millions of people out there who are just like us.
This list of iOS communities certainly isn’t definitive — it’s just a sample of some of our favourite sites. They’re geared towards all sorts of developers — beginners and veterans alike — and deal with different aspects of development. Check them out and get involved!
1. Toptal
Toptal is super useful for anyone trying to figure out how to get hired as an iOS developer. They have a whole host of sample questions you might get hit with in an elite interview, as well as potential answers. Don’t bother memorising the specific questions and answers, but make sure you can understand equally complex questions and come up with equally elegant answers on your own. Once you’ve browsed through the questions, head over to Toptal’s blog, where you can pick up some good tips for marketing your talents and staying up to date with the constantly-changing skills in demand!
iOS Developers is a relatively small community — just over 5,000 members — which means that it’s fairly tightly-knit and a bit more advanced than some larger communities. Unlike some other communities, iOS Developers is run by a small, motivated team that keeps the site on track. You can’t get into the community without requesting an invite, but you don’t have to send a resume or anything — just reach out. They also started a small blog a few months ago, which is sleek and well-written.
3. AppCoda
AppCoda is a larger community targeted towards a range of levels. They have tutorials for beginners — more than a hundred — to help get you started with iOS. For free. The community is run by Simon Ng, who was so energised by creating his own app for the first time that he wanted to help others have the same experience. One of the coolest features of the site is the app showcase, where you can see apps developed by people who learned to program iOS on AppCoda. They also have some intermediate level books if you want to pay a small premium.
iOS communities aren’t just online forums — they can take a range of forms. Today in iOS is an engaging, funny podcast that comes out a couple of times a month. It’s a great way to stay up to date on the latest iOS updates, releases and tricks, and you can do so while driving, stretching, or walking to work! One of the great things about Today in iOS is that the site attaches links to all of the sites mentioned in the podcast, so you can check them all out after you’ve finished the episode.
Just because Google and Apple are competitors doesn’t mean there aren’t some quirky overlaps between them. the iOS Google Community is one of the most user-friendly, multifunctional iOS communities out there. Users post articles about iOS, pose questions, helpful tips, and discuss the latest iOS updates.
6. Meetups
While you can get a lot of information online, sometimes you need inspiration or motivation that requires human-to-human contact. Signing up for a programming meetup in your area is a great way to network and discuss thorny coding problems with like-minded developers who are just as passionate about coding as you are.
There you go! Six great ways to connect to the wider iOS community, improve your skills, and work with others. These are definitely not the only communities out there, as we mentioned. Aside from the fact that there are communities for all sorts of different programming topics — other languages and platforms, for instance — this is just a drop in the bucket of iOS communities alone. Check these ones out, and then see if you can find some others not on this list that make you feel right at home! It can take awhile to figure out just which communities are best for you, but the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll be able to more fully immerse yourself in the world of programming and get the help you need!
