Swift Student Challenge 2027 will accept apps for all Apple platforms, including Apple Watch, and applications will be open from 8 to 28 February 2027. In Japan, students aged 13 or older are eligible.
Apple has announced that applications for the Swift Student Challenge 2027, its app development competition for students, will be accepted from 8 to 28 February 2027. From 2027, apps for all Apple platforms, including watchOS, will be eligible, and entries must be submitted as an app created in Xcode or as an App Playground in Swift Playground. Submissions and judging will be conducted offline, and entries must be submitted as ZIP files.
To apply from Japan, applicants must be students aged 13 or older. Winners in Japan will receive one year of Apple Developer Program membership and gifts, while winners of particularly outstanding entries will be invited to Apple in Cupertino. Enrollment in the Apple Developer Program is required to apply. Other requirements include creating the entry individually in English, with solo development being the basic rule.
The judging rules list requirements for the entry format and conditions, including packaging an Xcode app or App Playground in a ZIP file, a maximum file size of 500 MB, an experience time of no more than 3 minutes, and the ability to run without a network connection. Open-source materials may be used if their sources and the reasons for using them are stated. Online preparation sessions titled Meet with Apple are also scheduled for 10 December 2026, 14 January 2027 and 4 February 2027.
Outstanding entries will be selected based on factors including innovation, social impact and inclusion. All winners will receive one year of Developer Program membership and gifts. Outstanding winners will be invited to a 3-day program held in Cupertino in the summer. An entrant may win up to 3 times, while selection as an outstanding winner is limited to 1 time.