I am currently developing my submission for the Swift Student Challenge 2026. My project focuses on financial literacy for children ("Canteen Hero"), and I want to ensure it runs flawlessly during the judging process. I have two specific questions regarding the environment: Which iOS/iPadOS version do judges typically use for testing? Should I assume they will be using the latest stable release (e.g., iOS 19/iPadOS 19) or a specific beta version? Device Compatibility: Is it a requirement to design the app for all previous iOS versions (backward compatibility), or is it acceptable to target only the latest APIs (iOS 18/19+) to utilize modern features like SwiftData and the latest SwiftUI animations? Thank you for your guidance!

I am trying to create a .swiftpm for the swift student challenge and the only option that I see in the new menu is playground how do I make the .swiftpm?

My playground may require that the device has downloaded some resources in advance, such as Apple's advanced voice, translation language... But this is not necessary. It is just an incidental function. If it is not downloaded, the app will prompt that this function is not available and most of the other functions can continue to be used. But I want to know whether the judge's device will download these things in advance, and if not, will the judges think that there is a problem with my app that can't be used normally, which will cause my work to be rejected directly? Because my app uses the API of iOS 26, it needs to run in Xcode, and the competition allows the Apple intelligent function, but it is stipulated that if it runs with Xcode, the app will be tested on the simulator. However, my app involves image playground and cannot run on the simulator. Does anyone have a good solution? Thank you!

Hi, I recently built an app and I’m planning to publish it on the App Store. Since the Swift Student Challenge (SSC) is coming up, I’m also considering submitting the same project by converting it into a Swift Playground (with some content trimmed to meet the rules). I believe both I and the project are eligible. My question: if I publish the app on the App Store first and then submit it to SSC, could that violate the rules or lead to rejection? I also have a concern: because I’m a minor, Apple requires the App Store developer name to be my mother’s. However, the app was entirely developed by me. my mother and anyone else did not participate(My mother can't even use a computer.). I’m worried this might create confusion and make judges think I copied someone else’s work, which I did not. Would you recommend publishing on the App Store now, waiting until after SSC, or taking a different approach? Thank you.

Hello, I want to use the Speech framework in my app. However, I found that if I want it to work offline, it must be downloaded separately on the device. Do I understand correctly that it is not allowed to use it in a Swift Student Challenge submission if English (as the speech language) must be downloaded by the tester on their device using the internet beforehand?

This is probably a silly question, but I just want to make sure. The screenshot submission states: "Upload three screenshots of your app playground that best represent the user experience as .png or .jpg files. Do not upload handwritten notes, sketches, or outlines." For an Apple Pencil based app, can I sketch in the canvas to show the abilities of the app in the screenshots? I assume yes and that this only refers to submitting mock-ups of apps, but I wanted to be super sure I won't be going against the rules.

Hey, I am looking to participate in the upcoming SSC 2026. I am confused whether I am allowed to submit an idea which is for watchOS. I know the fact that submission would be xcode project and playground correct me if I am wrong but as far as I know, we can develop prototypes for watch on playground. If anyone of you knows about this, please let me know!

Hello Everyone, I reviewed many previous year's submissions posted on swift's student's challenge distinguished winners section and noticed that most of them or all of them were designed and implemented for iOS devices only so is it a valid option to design our playground apps solely to run and function on macOS only?

What OS will a Swift Student Challenge submission run on? I want to use iOS 26 features but the version history for Swift Playground doesn’t show it being updated past the iOS 17.5 SDK. So, can I still use features from the iOS 26 SDK?

👋Hi This problem is related to SSC. I remember that the form submitted last year needed to be filled in with Xcode or Playground test, and it seems that it was also mentioned: • If you use Xcode, the judges may use Simulator to run. • If you use Playground, it's a real machine. But my work this time will encounter two limitations: It will use the framework/API only available in iPadOS 26 (so if it is a Playground environment, it may not run, playground can't use iPadOS 26 SDK) It will also use some content that must be real to run (such as ARKit), which means that Xcode Simulator is not good. So I would like to ask: Does this year's review allow you to compile and connect the iPad to the real machine? Or did I misremember last year's regulations? If the judge's environment is fixed (for example, only Playground or only Simulator), how should I adjust the submission method or implement the scheme? Looking forward to your reply, thank you.

Hi, I’m working on my Swift Student Challenge submission using iOS 26 APIs (FoundationModels) along with AVFoundation + Vision to capture user input and generate feedback. Since Swift Playgrounds doesn’t support FoundationModels framework, I’m using an Xcode App Playground, but I heared that submissions are reviewed in the Simulator, which doesn’t support live camera feed. I’m unsure how to handle this. Looking for guidance on the recommended approach. Thanks!

Hello! I would like to use Speech Framework on my App Playground for this year challenge. But I still can't understand if I am allowed to use it to respect the rule of "not rely on a network connection". That's why: Speech framework can use on-device Speech recognition – No internet connection needed ✅. But it can ask to download an Apple's native language package to use it for this on-device recognition – To get this, you need to be connected to the Internet ❌. When I try to add a Speech Recognition Capabilities on my App Playground, its' description says: "Required to perform speech recognition using Apple's servers." (screenshot is attached). Does it mean that I won't be able to use on-device recognition on my App Playground? – And therefore, only online-version of this framework is available and I can't use it to participate on the challenge successfully❓. If it's possible, could you please make it clearer? This framework is crucial for my App Playground and I really need this to make it work. Thanks for your help in advance! And a have a good day!

Is Private Cloud Compute allowed? Or are on-device Foundational Models allowed only? Thanks!

The app idea I had in mind for my swift student chalange submission relies on data on the users phone(e.g. photos, contacts or files) How would I simulate that data in the swiftpm package? is it enough to just have a class with dummydata?

Hi, I am planning to apply for the Apple Swift Student Challenge. Is it acceptable to use Vietnamese names (proper nouns) within the app, provided all other text, code, and UI elements are in English? Will this still be considered valid?

Hey there! I have a few questions about the Swift Student Challenge: Is it acceptable to include placeholders for features that aren’t supported by Swift Playgrounds, or features I planned but didn’t have time to fully implement (as long as the core experience works)? My app relies a lot on user inputs. Is it okay to include a button that loads sample data for reviewers, or is there a preferred approach for this? Besides the known constraints (< 25 MB, experienceable within ~3 minutes), are there any other limits, e.g. lines of code or overall app complexity Can AI-generated assets (e.g. images) be used if they’re clearly labeled as such inside the app? Do we need to explicitly document where AI was used (assets, code, etc.) as part of the submission? My app uses the Foundation Model: On what device is the submission evaluated and should the usage of the Foundation Model be explicitly marked for reviewers? Thanks a lot, and sorry for the many questions!

Hello everyone, I am currently developing an app for my Swift Student Challenge submission that focuses on human motion analysis using the Vision framework. To effectively demonstrate the app's technical capabilities during the review process, I need to include a sample video showing a person performing specific movements. However, I want to ensure that my submission strictly adheres to all intellectual property guidelines. Instead of using existing copyrighted videos or public social media clips, I am considering using Generative AI to create an original, royalty-free sample video. This video would feature a character performing movements designed specifically to test my app's pose estimation and feedback logic. I have a few questions regarding this approach: Is it acceptable to use AI-generated sample assets (like video clips) to demonstrate technical features when it's difficult to record high-quality personal footage due to environmental constraints? If I clearly disclose the tools used and the reason for using AI-generated content in my written response, would this be considered a professional approach to asset management? Are there any specific guidelines I should follow to ensure that the use of AI-generated samples doesn't overshadow the original coding and design work of the project? My goal is to showcase a polished and technically sound implementation using Xcode 26 while respecting all copyright requirements. Thank you for your time and advice!

Hello all! My name is Luke, and I'm a 14 year old with a idea for SSC. This is my first SSC submission ever. I would like some feedback concerning a question. My app is an AI powered academic planner that helps you and your life. I won't give too much away, but I believe it's a really helpful concept. It uses a mini on-device LLM (built with simple if this word typed then do this logic) to help organize assignments. This is a real business I am building, and I put inside of my app simulated features such as the app saying "scanning your Google Classroom..", would this go against any terms and make the app less likely to win? I also have my app fully polished, and feels like an actual app and finished product, with demo assignments pre-loaded, and most stuff is placeholders. Should the app be more like a guided simulator? Such as "click here to see how this will be simulated in a final release" or again should it be polished? I just want some feedback, since I only have 3 minutes, and the app needs to be offline, I just want to improvise. Hopefully I can get some feedback from the community, and/or ex-winners! Thanks all! And good luck! :) - Luke

Hello all! My name is Luke, and I'm a 14 year old with a idea for SSC. This is my first SSC submission ever. I would like some feedback concerning a question. My app is an AI powered academic planner that helps you and your life. It uses a mini on-device LLM to help organize assignments. This is a real business I am building, and I put inside of my app simulated features such as the app saying "scanning your Google Classroom..", would this go against any terms and make the app less likely to win? I also have my app fully polished, and feels like an actual app and finished product, with demo assignments pre-loaded, and most stuff is placeholders. Should the app be more like a guided simulator? Such as "click here to see how this will be simulated in a final release" or again should it be polished? I just want some feedback, since I only have 3 minutes, and the app needs to be offline, I just want to improvise. You can check out the basis of my app at my website. https://whiteb0x.me Hopefully I can get some feedback from the community, and/or ex winners! Thanks all! - Luke

Hi everyone, I am working on my submission for the Swift Student Challenge 2026 using a Swift App Playground (.swiftpm). The default project was set to iOS 16, but I manually edited the Package.swift file to change the minimum version to iOS 18.0 so I can use the latest APIs. I also modified the supportedInterfaceOrientations to lock the app to Portrait mode only. I know the file contains a warning saying "Do not edit it by hand," so I am worried about two things: Disqualification: Will manually changing the iOS version from the default 16.0 to 18.0 cause any issues with the submission validator or the judging environment? Orientation: Is it acceptable to strictly force .portrait mode for the challenge, or are we required to support landscape/responsive layouts for the judges' iPads? I want to make sure these manual changes won't technically invalidate my playground. Thanks for your help!