Apple’s 2027 Swift Student Challenge will accept apps built for Apple Watch, Apple TV, Vision Pro, and Mac.
Until now, Apple limited entries to iOS and iPadOS. Apple’s developer announcement says students can submit an app for any Apple platform in 2027, and that the window will run from 8 to 28 February 2027.
The eligibility rules are specific. An entry must be an Xcode app or an app playground built with Swift Playground, delivered as a ZIP file. It requires Xcode 27 or Swift Playground 4.7, or later. Command-line tools and packages don’t qualify. The app must be experienced within three minutes and work offline, with every resource included in the ZIP, because submissions are judged offline.
The size cap also jumped. iClarified reports that ZIP files can now reach 500 MB, up from 25 MB for the 2026 challenge. Entries must be a student’s own work, not a group’s, and all content should be in English.
Students must be 13 or older in most countries, which covers the UAE, and registered with Apple as a developer (registration is free). They must also be enrolled in, or recently graduated from, an accredited school or a similar programme. A student who wants a machine to build on can check Tbreak’s guide to the MacBook Air M5 vs MacBook Neo for UAE students.
Winners are chosen for excellence in innovation, creativity, social impact, or inclusivity. Apple says on its overview page:
Apple is proud to support and uplift the next generation of developers, creators, and entrepreneurs with the Swift Student Challenge.
Apple, Swift Student Challenge page
Every winner receives one year of Apple Developer Program membership and a special gift. Distinguished Winners are invited to Apple in Cupertino for three days. MacRumors reports that the trip takes place during WWDC 2027 at Apple Park, though Apple hasn’t announced WWDC 2027 dates. A student can win up to three times, but can be a Distinguished Winner only once.
Apple will also hold online preparation sessions. The first, “Get started with agentic coding in Xcode”, runs on 10 December 2026. “Get ready for the Swift Student Challenge” follows on 14 January 2027, and “Create your app’s story” on 4 February 2027.
