How SwiftUI saves costs and makes iPad apps more accessible

How SwiftUI improves accessibility, tablet compatibility and reduces costs

Remember the days when tablet compatibility meant significant extra costs? Creating an app that worked equally well on the iPhone and iPad often required extra days or weeks of design and development effort. As a result, many companies simply skipped that “extra mile”. Today, however, the situation is different. With SwiftUI, tablet compatibility becomes automatic, cost-effective, and increases both user satisfaction and engagement.

💡 How does accessibility in SwiftUI layout ensure automatic compatibility with tablets?

• Adaptive layout
• Dynamic type

Why we need to start thinking about accessibility

Briefly:

• ⚖️ The new law on accessibility of products and services for people with disabilities, which is based on the European Accessibility Act, obliges providers of digital services and products (e.g. e-shops, banking, booking systems or online media) to ensure that their websites and applications are usable by people with disabilities according to the WCAG 2.1 standard, or face heavy fines.
• ⏭️ Only micro-businesses and some specific cases are exempted. The law applies from 28 June 2025
• 🎯 It aims not only to meet legislative requirements but also to open up the digital marketplace to more than a billion people with disabilities worldwide, making accessibility not only a legal but also a business imperative for companies that want to remain competitive and inclusive. This has the effect of increasing user satisfaction overall with various side effects.

Why is SwiftUI beneficial for businesses?

SwiftUI is Apple's declarative framework that allows developers to design adaptive and accessible apps with minimal effort. Its ability to automatically adapt layouts to different screen sizes (from iPhone to iPad) eliminates the need to do complex branching logic for tablet versions of apps. This means lower development and maintenance costs.

Main benefits for business:

• Saving time and money: One code works on all devices without the need for extensive customization.
• Increased user engagement: better user experience on tablets leads to higher customer satisfaction.
• Accessibility as a competitive advantage: Apps are usable by people with visual or motor limitations.

1. Accessibility built right into the basics

SwiftUI has accessibility built into its structure. It automatically generates accessibility elements such as labels, traits and actions for standard components (e.g. buttons or text fields). This means that the application is ready for users with assistive technologies such as VoiceOver at no additional cost.

Why does it increase user satisfaction?

Tablet users expect comfortable operation and a readable layout. Accessibility in SwiftUI ensures:

• Easy navigation on larger screens.
• Automatic scaling of text and interface elements according to user needs.

2. Adaptive layout with no additional cost

SwiftUI utilizes an adaptive layout system that allows apps to seamlessly adapt to a variety of screen sizes - from compact iPhones to large iPads. This means developers don't have to manually create different versions of the layout.

Practical example:

Using simple tools such as HStack, VStack or GeometryReader can ensure that the same code will work on both phones and tablets:

• On your phone, content can be displayed vertically (e.g. a list of items).
• On a tablet, the same content is displayed horizontally or in a grid.

3. Dynamic text and flexible UI elements

SwiftUI supports Dynamic Type, which allows users to change the font size according to their preferences. This feature is particularly useful on tablets, where users often prefer larger text for better readability.

Benefits for businesses::

• Lower risk of bad UX: Even with extreme settings (e.g. 300% text increase), the UI layout remains functional.
• Greater inclusivity: users with visual disabilities can use the app without problems.

4. Flexibility through size classes

SwiftUI automatically detects the type of device (e.g. compact iPhone or iPad) using so-called Size Classes. This allows developers to adapt the design to a specific device without significant changes to the code.

What does it mean for product teams?

• The app will always look professional - whether the user opens it on a small iPhone SE or a large iPad Pro.
• Minimizing layout errors reduces the need for additional fixes and testing.

5. Unified design = higher user trust

Users expect a consistent experience across devices. SwiftUI allows you to create a unified design that works equally well on phones and tablets:

• Navigating with VoiceOver is intuitive.
• Grouping related elements (e.g. buttons) into a single unit simplifies operation.

6. Economic benefits for companies

Switching to SwiftUI brings significant financial savings to businesses:

• Lower development costs: Unified code for all devices eliminates the need for separate mobile and tablet teams or complex decision logic that takes a long time to debug.
• Faster time to market: Adaptive layout saves time in both design and testing.
• Higher return on investment (ROI): Better customized apps lead to higher usage and customer satisfaction.

Why invest in SwiftUI?

SwiftUI is not just a technological innovation - it's a strategic opportunity for companies that want to offer a better product at a lower cost. Automatic tablet compatibility means:

• Lower development and maintenance costs.
• Higher user satisfaction thanks to better UX.
• Greater reach - apps are accessible to a wider audience, including people with special needs.

If you want to create apps that are not only beautiful, but also functional and inclusive, SwiftUI is the right choice - not just for developers, but also for your business!