I love building native mobile apps. Xcode has been a great IDE for iOS development for many years. But let’s be honest, Xcode wasn’t designed for AI-first development. When it comes to generating or iterating on Swift code with AI, it just doesn’t keep up.
That is why I now use Cursor to build iOS apps from start to finish with AI. It is the fastest way I have found to go from an idea to a working native SwiftUI app.
Setting Up Cursor for SwiftUI App Development
To help Cursor generate accurate and production-ready code, I added references directly into the IDE. These docs ground the AI in real Apple standards and eliminate common hallucinations.
You can add documentation under Cursor Settings > Indexing and Docs.
I included the following:
These help Cursor align with layout standards, API usage patterns, and UI best practices.
The Most Important Part: Defining Cursor Rules
Beyond the docs, the most valuable setup is creating a set of Cursor Rules.
These rules tell the AI how to structure the app and generate consistent code. They include guidance on:
- State management across views
- MVVM architecture layering
- Navigation and layout conventions
- Use of Swift concurrency features
- Code separation for platform independence
I have attached the exact rules I use so you can reference or adapt them in your own projects:
swift-ui.md— UI patterns and structureswiftui-mvvm.md— App architecture and layering
You can drop these directly into your workspace. They are what make Cursor output usable without cleanup.
How Cursor Builds iOS Apps
Cursor builds apps as part of the code generation process itself.
When I prompt Cursor with a requirement, for example, “Create a three-tab SwiftUI app with Home, Explore, and Profile views”, it generates all the necessary files: views, navigation structure, models, and app entry points. This generation follows the architecture and rules I have defined in the workspace.
Immediately after code is generated or updated, Cursor runs a background build using Xcode’s command-line tools (xcodebuild). This is fully integrated, meaning I do not have to manually trigger anything.
If a build fails, Cursor does not stop or require intervention. It automatically detects the error, analyzes what went wrong, and regenerates or edits the code until the build passes. This iterative fix loop happens silently, ensuring the code always compiles and runs without breaking my flow.
The result is that I stay focused on what the app should do, and Cursor handles both the implementation and validation in real time.
How I Use Xcode Alongside Cursor
I keep Xcode open next to Cursor to run the app on a simulator or physical device. I do not make code changes in Xcode.
I use it strictly for:
- Selecting simulators and connected devices
- Managing signing and provisioning
- Adjusting project-level settings
- Looking for any runtime errors
All the development, logic, and UI work is handled in Cursor. Xcode is just the runtime and packaging layer.
Final Thoughts on Using Cursor for iOS Development
Using Cursor speeds up my entire iOS app development process. It lets me stay focused on building features, testing logic, and delivering UI — without worrying about boilerplate or build issues.
If you want to move faster and still write native Swift code that runs cleanly on Apple platforms, this is the best setup I have found.
Happy Building!