I am interested in participating in the Swift Student Challenge. My application contains a significant amount of augmented reality (AR) content, necessitating access to the camera. It is evident that if the reviewer utilizes a simulator or operates on a Mac, they will not be able to experience the AR function. Therefore, the AR function in the camera experience application must be utilized to access a real iPad. However, it is mentioned in https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/773530 that the plan is to evaluate Xcode app playgrounds within the simulator. Additionally, I observed the statement “Note: Xcode app playgrounds are executed in Simulator” on the submission page. Consequently, it is clear that the reviewers are limited to using a simulator or running my application on a Mac. In light of this, I am seeking guidance on how to enable the reviewer to utilize a real iPad to access the AR function in the camera experience application. Alternatively, I may need to reconsider my strategy and discontinue utilizing AR.

I'm preparing my submission for the Swift Student Challenge, and I have a couple of questions regarding the development environment. Is it allowed to use Xcode to program my scene, or do I have to use Swift Playgrounds? Can I use iPadOS 18 for development? I noticed that Swift Playgrounds currently only supports up to iPadOS 17.5, but I would like to use RealityView, which is only available starting from iPadOS 18. I appreciate any clarification on this. Thanks in advance!

I'm working on my submission for the Swift Student Challenge and I have some questions regarding the use of existing code. Can I use code provided by Apple in their official resources? For example, Apple recently shared a video on custom shaders (https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2024/10151), and I’d like to implement a ripple effect using a Metal shader similar to the one demonstrated. Would this be allowed? Am I allowed to use solutions found on developer forums like Stack Overflow, as long as I properly document and reference them in my code? Or does all the code need to be fully original? I’d appreciate any clarification on these points. Thanks in advance!

I intend to participate in the Swift Student Challenge. A link is provided within my application that directs users to an Internet HTML web page. Link(destination: URL(string: "https://url.com")!) { Label("Developer Website - .....com", systemImage: "arrow.right") .shadow(color: Color.white ,radius: 50) } This URL corresponds to my personal web page. Although it is not directly related to the experience interaction within the application, I have decided to include it as it serves as a logo and demonstrates my proficiency in HTML. However, the challenge’s rules stipulate that the evaluation environment is not permitted to connect to the Internet. Consequently, I am concerned that my work may be rejected due to its perceived incompleteness or errors. So should I keep it? Thanks!

Hi there, I intend to submit an app playground for the Swift Student Challenge this year. I am currently using the Swift Playgrounds app to develop a playground. Now I understand that when submitting I can choose the option of having my app playground to be tested on Swift Playgrounds on either iPadOS or macOS. But I would also like to know on which screen size is my app going to be tested. Let's say I want my app playground to run on macOS, now is there a way to also select the MacBook model, like 14-inch or 16-inch? This would give the participants a better idea of where the app playground will be tested.

Hello!!in the terms of swift challenge say that is required to be enroledl to the apple developer program paid or free version (to join to developer programs you need to be under 18 years old).How over 18 years old can join to swift challenge if he can't make apple developer account.

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As of June 28, 2023, South Korea has standardized its age-counting system to align with international norms, meaning that the traditional "Korean age" system is no longer used in official contexts. According to the SSC eligibility criteria, I found that participants from South Korea must be at least 14 years old. I'm confused whether if the eligibility criteria has applied this. (I'm 13 in global, which means that I could join the SSC if I was born in the US) With the recent change in age calculation, this requirement refers to my international age.. I am wondering if I still have to wait one more year.. Please be free to give more information if you know..

Can we use ai tools like chat gpt or claude if major part of the code is written by us?

Hi, I’m a 2 time Swift Student Challenge Winner (2021 and 2022). I was under 18 when I won the challenges, but I recently turned 18 and want to redeem my free Apple Developer Program Membership benefits. However, I had problems with my Apple Developer Account, so I contacted Apple Developer Support and they told me that there was something wrong with my Apple Account and they didn't know anything bout Swift Student Challenge Apple Developer Program Memberships. When I try to click the “enroll” button on the Apple Developer Website all it says is "Your enrollment in the Apple Developer Program could not be completed at this time.” I emailed swiftstudentchallenge[at]apple.com but didn't get a reply back either. I was wondering if anyone could direct me to someone who I could contact to resolve this issue.

For the SSDC submission, the app playground must run on Swift Playgrounds 4.5+ or Xcode 16+. Key questions: In Swift Playgrounds, is the app tested on iPadOS or macOS? In Xcode 16+, is the playground tested using Mac Catalyst, an iPad simulator, or an iPhone simulator? The submission form only mentions a simulator but doesn’t specify which one. Can I build an app primarily for iPhone (portrait mode), or is it better to focus on iPad (landscape mode) if that’s the expected testing environment in all cases?

I am currently filling out the Swift Student Challenge form, and I have two questions that I hope to get clarified: One of the options asks, “Did you use open source software, other than Swift?” I would like to know what is meant by “open source software” in this context. Does it refer to IDEs (like Xcode) or programming languages and frameworks (such as Python, ARKit)? Are Apple frameworks (e.g., SwiftUI, ARKit, etc.) and certain third-party tools (such as Xcode, Blender, etc.) considered “open source software”? I would like to provide a demo video to ensure that the reviewers can use the app properly and experience all of its features in the shortest amount of time. For certain reasons, I do not plan to play the video directly in the App Playground. Instead, I intend to include a link in the “Comments” section at the end of the form, which will redirect to a webpage (requiring an internet connection) containing the demo video. Will the reviewers be able to view the link and access the video as intended? I would greatly appreciate any responses to these questions!

Hi. I've been developing an app that uses Mapkit. Is Mapkit allowed in the Swift Student Challenge? If not, does anyone know of any offline alternatives to Mapkit or a way to make mapkit offline? I've been developing my app for way too long until I questioned whether its allowed. Thanks, Creeper25

I am currently preparing my submission for the Swift Student Challenge, and my app playground is quite comprehensive. Based on my estimations, it may take approximately 4 to 5.5 minutes for the reviewers to fully experience the interactive elements of my app. Every component is integral to the overall experience, and I would prefer not to remove any content, as each part not only contributes to the overall interactivity but also effectively demonstrates my abilities across different technical and creative domains. However, I noticed the guideline on https://developer.apple.com/swift-student-challenge/eligibility stating that the interactive scene should be “experienced within three minutes.” While this does not appear to be a main requirement, my app playground significantly exceeds this timeframe. Could you kindly clarify whether exceeding the three-minute guideline could result in my submission being rejected, or if it might negatively impact the evaluation process? I would greatly appreciate any insights you can provide. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.

Hello everyone, I’m currently developing a Playground App for the Swift Student Challenge, and its core functionality relies heavily on Shortcuts Automation, App Shortcuts, and interactions with the Focus Mode status (e.g., reading Focus Status or execute Focus Filter). Before finalizing my submission, I’d like to clarify whether these features will function as expected during the review process. Specifically: Shortcuts Automation: My app uses custom shortcuts to trigger actions within the Playground. Will reviewers be able to test these shortcuts seamlessly, or do I need to provide explicit instructions for enabling/setting them up? App Shortcuts: The app integrates system-level App Shortcuts (via App Intents). Are these supported in the test environment, and will reviewers see them during testing? Focus Status Interaction: The app dynamically responds to changes in the device’s Focus Mode (e.g., adjusting UI and function based on FocusStatus). Does the evaluation environment allow access to Focus Status data, and are there restrictions on simulating Focus Mode changes? I want to ensure these features are testable and don’t lead to unexpected issues during review. Any insights or advice from past participants, mentors, or Apple experts would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance for your guidance!

When I was working on my project for Swift Student Challenge, I found an interesting fact regarding camera access. If I create an App project on Xcode, the camera capture works well on it. However, if I copied and pasted the code on an App Playground project on Xcode, it crashed and output several errors. I am wondering why this is happening.

I was just filling the submission for the swift student challenge and there is a note below adding the zip file saying Note: Xcode app playgrounds are run in Simulator. Now my xcode app playground(.swiftpm) is an AR app and needs an ipad or an iphone to run . So will my submission still be eligible for assessment and checked on ipad???

Hi everyone, I'm currently working on a Swift Playgrounds project where I need to incorporate a Metal shader file. However, when I tried to include my shader file (PincushionShader.metal), I encountered the following error: Is it possible to use Metal shader files within Swift Playgrounds, it is really important for my swift student challenge scene? If not, are there any workarounds or recommended approaches for testing Metal shaders in a similar environment? Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hello guys, I have a question regarding the submission requirements. My app uses ARKit and requires Metal files for shaders, which are not supported by Swift Playgrounds. Therefore, I developed my app using Xcode. (swift playgrounds returning error for metal file) Since my app relies on a real device for proper functionality, I would like to know if, under these circumstances, the scene build is performed by Xcode. If the build were instead done by Swift Playgrounds, my scene would not function correctly. I'm asking that because of this note Thank you for your time and assistance.