Apple is gearing up for the 2026 Swift Student Challenge, inviting young developers around the globe to create a playground app specifically an interactive playground app, using either Swift, or Xcode.
The Swift Student Challenge is a great chance for students to demonstrate their creativity, technical skill, and interest in coding.
If you’re someone who enjoys building, or would like to be a developer, here’s how to apply, and what necessarily makes your entry unique.
How to Apply
You can follow the steps below to apply for the Swift Student Challenge starting 2023
Step 1: Determine your eligibility You will need to be at least 13 years old (in most places) and currently enrolled at an educational institution or graduated in the last 90 days.
The Swift Student Challenge is geared towards students and beginning developers, therefore professional developers are not eligible.
Step 2: Register as an Apple Developer
Before you submit your app playground, you will need to have a free Apple Developer Account. Head over to Apple’s developer website and sign in using your Apple ID.
You will use this account to access some of the basic functionality you will need to create your project, like Swift Playgrounds and Xcode.
Step 3: Create Your App Playground Your challenge project must be an interactive experience lasting about three minutes.
You can use Swift and Apple’s tools to bring your idea to life as an app, educational tool, animated story, graphic novel, digital sound art project, or anything else you can imagine.
Ensure the playground works offline, doesn’t require internet access, and includes all assets (such as images and sounds), and is no larger than 25MB.
Step 4: Polish and Playtest It’s always a good idea to playtest your app playground on a macOS or iPadOS device before you submit it.
The name of your project should be simple, new, and polished. The more polished your project is, the more likely you are to get noticed and more importantly, played by the judges.
Step 5: Submit Your Project Apple usually opens its submission window in early February and accepts submissions for about three weeks.
You can find the specifics on dates on the official Apple Developer website. When the submissions are open, you will be able to upload your ZIP file, and provide information on the form that describes your idea and how you developed it, and any citations.
Rewards and Benefits
Swift Student Challenge 2026 recipients will receive a one year membership to the Apple Developer Program, so that they can submit their apps to the App Store and utilize additional developing resources free of charge!
They will also receive some cool Apple branded swag and be recognized at the global developer stage.
All of the winners from previous competitions have gone on to create full blown apps for the App Store and in some cases, started their careers in the tech industry.
It’s not just a competition, but an opportunity to leverage for a career in software engineering.
Tips on How to Submit to Win
- Do not copy from others, judges love looking for new and different ideas.
- Keep it simple, create simple usability and a neat look.
- Thoroughly test your code and be sure that it does not crash or lag.
- Create a story with your designs, Apple looks just as much at emotional and creative depth as at coding skill.
- Submit early you will not run into technical challenges at the last minute not allowing you time to finalize your work.
DEAR STUDENTS, Swift Student Challenge 2026 provides students the opportunity to highlight your creativity and your coding skills,and capacity to troubleshoot issues.
With some preparation and attention to detail, you may be the next great programmer at Apple.
Start thinking of your pick from the list now, improve your coding skills, and be prepared to develop something spectacular. You may begin the next chapter of Apple’s legacy of innovation.
