Apple’s Developer app makes the leap to macOS in time for WWDC 2020

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2020 kicks off on Monday, June 22, and Apple has released a macOS version of its iOS-exclusive Apple Developer app in anticipation of this year’s all-digital format.

The app mirrors the look and feel of Apple Developer on iOS, redesigned in anticipation of this year’s WWDC experience, which has gone fully digital due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Apple Developer app is not a replacement or alternative to a traditional SDK, nor does it contain tools for software development. Instead, it’s an information and education hub for developers who build software for the various macOS, iOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

Content in the Apple Developer app is in video and article format and includes recordings of past special events all the way back to WWDC 2014, OS-specific video tips and education sessions, framework and dev tool talks, App Store help, and more.

Videos contain links to transcripts, PDF versions of presentation slides, related videos, and links to Apple developer portal pages as well. All in all, it is an excellent resource for experienced developers looking to catch up on past sessions, as well as new developers looking for a place to learn about the tools they’ll use in their journey into developing for Apple products.

Along with the release for macOS, Apple Developer is getting some new features that make it easier to use: A Discover section that acts as a feed for new content, the WWDC content mentioned above, a browsing interface for finding older content, and the option to download videos and other content to watch offline.

SEE: 10 ways to prevent developer burnout (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

WWDC 2020 is being held entirely online, like many other tech conferences, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The various sessions this year will all be broadcast in the Apple Developer app and should be available afterward for those who can’t watch them live.

The Apple developer forums are being redesigned for WWDC 2020, and threads are available for anyone to view, but posting in them or asking questions requires an active Apple Developer Program subscription.

One-on-one sessions with an Apple engineer are available as well, but those will be exclusively restricted to Apple Developer Program members.

The Apple Developer app is free for iOS and macOS, and no Developer Program subscription is required to view content. WWDC 2020 kicks off with a keynote address at 10 am Pacific Time on Monday, June 22, and runs through Friday, June 26. WWDC presentations can be viewed in the Apple Developer app, as well as on Apple’s YouTube channel and on its website.