Mobile apps

Objective-C

Also called: Obj-C

The short version

Objective-C is a language based on C that is found in older Apple app code and some current Apple software.

An earlier Apple app language

Objective-C builds on C by adding ways to organise code into objects. For years, it was a main language for building apps for Apple devices. A team maintaining an established iPhone or Mac app may still encounter it.

Swift is now another common choice for new Apple app code. Some projects use both languages, especially when a team adds new features to an existing app. The two have different syntax, so “Apple app development” does not name a single language.