Swift Launches Official Android Support With First Swift SDK for Android

Swift reaches Android with first official SDK

Apple-developed coding language Swift now officially supports Android, about a year after the effort was announced. The first release of the Swift SDK for Android arrived with the Swift 6.3 update, giving developers a way to build native Android apps in Swift and update existing Swift projects for Android support.

The changelog for Swift 6.3 says the SDK lets developers create native Android programs in Swift, adapt Swift packages for Android builds, and use Swift Java and Swift Java JNI Core to connect Swift code with Android apps written in Kotlin or Java. The release is being described in Swift’s own notes as a significant milestone for cross-platform development.

Swift 6.3 opens native Android app development

With this update, developers can now begin writing Android software in Swift, while also bringing older Swift code into Android-focused work. The SDK is also meant to work alongside existing Android projects, rather than replacing them, by supporting integration with Kotlin and Java applications.

• First official release of the Swift SDK for Android
• Part of the Swift 6.3 update released earlier this year
• Supports native Android apps written in Swift
• Allows Swift packages to be updated for Android builds
• Includes Swift Java and Swift Java JNI Core for Kotlin and Java integration

Android support adds a new path for Swift developers

Swift’s changelog says the release opens new opportunities for cross-platform development. In practical terms, that could make it easier to develop Android apps based on iOS counterparts, though the source material does not give a rollout schedule, limits, or other technical details beyond the SDK’s first official release.

Kotlin remains the main language for Android, according to the input data. Even so, the addition of Swift marks a notable change for developers who already use Apple’s language and want to extend their work beyond iPhone and iPad projects.

More details are available on the Swift website, the source notes. The update comes roughly a year after the Android support effort was announced, and the first official SDK is now available through Swift 6.3.

Swift 6.3 includes the first official release of the Swift SDK for Android. With this SDK, you can start developing native Android programs in Swift, update your Swift packages to support building for Android, and use Swift Java and Swift Java JNI Core to integrate Swift code into existing Android applications written in Kotlin/Java. This is a significant milestone that opens new opportunities for cross-platform development in Swift.