Apple moves from Java 8 to Swift?
9/1/2025 11:13pm
**Apple's primary programming language for developing iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS applications is Swift**, not Java. The transition from Java to Swift occurred around the time Swift was introduced in 2014.
1. **Swift as Apple's Primary Language**:
- Swift is a powerful and intuitive programming language designed by Apple for developing applications on its platforms.
- It is optimized for performance and safety, with a concise syntax and modern features that make it popular among developers.
2. **Transition from Java**:
- Apple announced Swift as a replacement for Objective-C, which was previously used for iOS and macOS development, not Java.
- The transition from Java to Swift was not applicable, as Swift was introduced as an alternative to Objective-C, not Java.
3. **Swift Adoption and Popularity**:
- Despite being a powerful language, Swift has not gained widespread popularity among developers for Android or other platforms, and its usage is largely confined to Apple's ecosystem.
- This limited adoption is due to Swift's exclusivity to Apple's platforms and the existing codebases written in Objective-C or Java, which may not be easily convertible to Swift.
4. **Conclusion**: Apple's move was from Objective-C to Swift, not from Java. Swift is now the primary language for Apple's platforms, offering a safer and more performant alternative to Objective-C.