Atlas Device SDK for Swift

Realm is now Atlas Device SDK – Learn More

Use the Atlas Device SDK for Swift to develop iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS apps in Swift and Objective-C.

Learning Paths

Get Started with the Swift SDK

Quick Start

Minimal-explanation code examples of how to work with the Swift SDK. Write to the device database, and sync with other devices.

See Code Examples

Working Example App

Learn from example by dissecting a working SwiftUI client app that uses the Swift SDK.

Explore an Example App

Guided Tutorial

Follow a guided tutorial to learn how to adapt the example app to create your own working app.

Follow the Tutorial

What You Can Do

Develop Apps with the SDK

Use the SDK's open-source database - Realm - as an object store on the device. Use Device Sync to keep data in sync with your MongoDB Atlas cluster and other clients.

Install the Swift SDK

Use Swift Package Manager, CocoaPods, or Carthage to Install the SDK for iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS in your project.

Import RealmSwift in your project files to get started.

Define an Object Schema

Use Swift to idiomatically define an object schema.

Open a Database

The SDK's database - Realm - stores objects in files on your device. Or you can open an in-memory database which does not create a file. Configure and open a database to specify the options for your database file.

Read and Write Data

Create, read, update, and delete objects from the device database. Filter data using the SDK's type-safe .where syntax, or construct an NSPredicate.

React to Changes

Live objects mean that your data is always up-to-date. You can register a notification handler to watch for changes and perform some logic, such as updating your UI. Or in SwiftUI, use the Swift property wrappers to update Views when data changes.

Connect to an Atlas App Services App

Configure Device Sync in an App Services App. Define data access rules. Use Development Mode to infer your schema from your Swift or Objective-C data model.

Then, connect to the backend from your client.

Authenticate a User

Use one of our authentication providers to authenticate a user. App Services provides access to popular authentication providers, such as Apple, Google, or Facebook. Use our built-in email/password provider to manage users without a third-party, or use custom JWT authentication to integrate with other authentication providers. Anonymous authentication provides access without requiring a login or persisting user data.

Open a Synced Database

Configure and open a synced database. Subscribe to a query to determine what data the synced database can read and write.

Read and Write Synced Data

The APIs to read and write data are the same whether you're using a synced or non-synced database. Data that you read and write to the device is automatically kept in sync with your Atlas cluster and other clients. Apps keep working offline and deterministically sync changes whenever a network connection is available.

The Swift SDK offers property wrappers and convenience features designed to make it easier to work with SwiftUI. For example View code that demonstrates common SwiftUI patterns, check out the SwiftUI documentation.

SwiftUI Property Wrappers Offer Realm/SwiftUI Integration

struct SearchableDogsView: View {
    @ObservedResults(Dog.self) var dogs
    @State private var searchFilter = ""
    
    var body: some View {
        NavigationView {
            // The list shows the dogs in the realm.
            List {
                ForEach(dogs) { dog in
                    DogRow(dog: dog)
                }
            }
            .searchable(text: $searchFilter,
                        collection: $dogs,
                        keyPath: \.name) {
                ForEach(dogs) { dogsFiltered in
                    Text(dogsFiltered.name).searchCompletion(dogsFiltered.name)
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Call Serverless Functions

You can call serverless Functions from your client application that run in an App Services backend.

Query MongoDB Atlas

You can query data stored in MongoDB directly from your client application code.

Authenticate Users

Authenticate users with built-in and third-party authentication providers. Use the authenticated user to access App Services.

Essential Documentation

Example Projects

Explore engineering and expert-provided example projects to learn best practices and common development patterns using the Swift SDK. Check out the Example Projects page for more sample apps.