Great question! Yes, it’s absolutely possible for someone with no prior programming experience to become an iOS or Android app developer. However, the difficulty depends on a few factors, including your learning style, dedication, and the resources you use.
Here’s what to expect and how hard it might be:
1. Learning Curve
- Programming basics: You’ll first need to learn a programming language. For iOS, that’s mainly Swift (or Objective-C, but Swift is easier for beginners). For Android, it’s Kotlin (or Java, but Kotlin is now preferred).
- Concepts to grasp: Variables, control flow (if-else, loops), functions, object-oriented programming, data structures, debugging.
- Mobile-specific topics: UI design, app lifecycle, APIs, networking, local storage, app publishing.
2. Difficulty Level
- For a complete beginner, the first 1-3 months can feel challenging because you’re learning programming concepts and mobile development frameworks at the same time.
- With consistent effort (e.g., 1-2 hours daily), many beginners can build simple apps in 3-6 months.
- Becoming proficient (building production-ready apps, understanding advanced topics) typically takes 6 months to a year or more.
3. Resources and Tools
- iOS: Xcode IDE (free on Mac), Swift Playgrounds (great for beginners), tutorials from Apple and platforms like Udemy, Coursera.
- Android: Android Studio (free), official Kotlin docs, online courses.
- Cross-platform: Tools like Flutter (Dart language), React Native (JavaScript), or Xamarin (.NET) might be easier if you want to build for both iOS and Android at once.
4. Mindset & Tips
- Patience & consistency are key — programming is like learning a new language.
- Start with small projects; build things that interest you.
- Join communities (Reddit, Stack Overflow, Discord groups) for help and motivation.
- Practice problem-solving, not just copying code.
- Use online tutorials that explain why things work, not just how.
