CodeWithChris

Resharing the story of Michael, who tried learning to code for YEARS but kept giving up!

When COVID hit, he found CodeWithChris, and everything changed 🔄

The struggle was real:

Multiple false starts with coding. Toured with live shows. Hit major roadblocks with API calls. Almost quit (again!)

The breakthrough happened when:

- He found CWC's hands-on approach
- Used AI as a debugging assistant
- Built and published TWO apps

Today, Life Tracker and Butterfly AI Stories are live in the App Store, and he's learning Android development!
The right learning approach and persistence really made the difference.

Read his full journey here: codewithchris.com/success-story-michael-olson/

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With our ongoing iOS 26 launch sale, you too can be the next inspiration to the CodeWithChris community.

Get up to $500 off our CWC+ membership! Check out our sale here 👇

cwc.to/ios26sale
cwc.to/ios26sale
cwc.to/ios26sale

2 days ago | [YT] | 28

CodeWithChris

Last week, I showed you how to use source control with GitHub so you never lose your work.

But what if you want to experiment with new code without risking your main project?

That’s where branches come in 👇

—

When you create your repo, by default, you have a single branch: the main branch.

But you can create more!

A new branch is just a copy of your project where you can safely test new ideas.

You can name it after the feature you’re building — like feature-xyz.

—

When you create a branch, you can copy your project from the latest state or even from an older snapshot.

Then you switch your workspace to that branch and experiment freely.

Your main project stays untouched.

—

On your feature branch, you can keep making commits just like normal.

It works the same way as your main branch, but separate.

That’s what makes branches so powerful.

—

Once you’re happy with your changes, you merge your feature branch back into main.

After merging, you can delete the branch or keep it around.

That’s the full workflow.

—

Sometimes you’ll run into merge conflicts if both branches change the same code.

Don’t worry — you just open it in a text editor and decide which version (or both) to keep.

That’s how you resolve conflicts.

—

The big takeaways:

- Branches let you experiment safely.
- Your main project stays stable.
- You only merge the good stuff back in.

This is how professionals (and big teams) work — but it’s just as useful for solo devs.

—

If you want to see a step by step demonstration of this, check out my latest YouTube tutorial!

https://youtu.be/0vzYWyHmcY8

3 days ago | [YT] | 36

CodeWithChris

Xcode 26 is available to download from the Mac App Store!

4 days ago | [YT] | 84

CodeWithChris

Just sharing some recent testimonials for CWC. Happy to see results and progress from our students ❤️

If you're looking to master the fundamentals of iOS app development, check out our CWC+ program (currently on sale with up to $500 off!)

cwc.to/ios26sale

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5 days ago | [YT] | 18

CodeWithChris

Think like a developer, don't let AI think for you.

Because when AI coding tools fall short, real-world skills and foundations will be the ones that’ll keep you moving.

And this is exactly what we're teaching inside CWC+. How to solve real-world problems. Debugging. Mastering the fundamentals.

And with our iOS 26 Launch Sale, you get up to $500 off your membership!

Click to learn more: cwc.to/ios26sale

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1 week ago | [YT] | 31

CodeWithChris

Here are some highlights from my new GitHub tutorial (beginner friendly!) on YT.

I think this is especially relevant in this vibe coding era bc I encounter many people who constantly have to restart their project from scratch.

It doesn't have to be that way!
--
Ever wish your project had a giant undo button?

That’s what source control is. And the best part: you can use it even if you’ve never coded before.

--
Picture this:
- AI breaks your project
- Undo doesn’t work
- Multiple copies scattered across folders (if you even have that..)

Source control is the answer.

--
Source control = snapshots of your project you can roll back to anytime.

Think of it as a time machine for your files.

--
The vault where your project lives is called a "repository" (or repo).

Inside it, you save snapshots (commits).

And you can always restore an old snapshot if things go sideways.

--
GitHub is the online vault.

It’s free, easy to set up, and it keeps your projects:

- Backed up
- Synced across computers
- Ready for collaboration

--
Getting started is simple:

1. Create a free GitHub account
2. Download GitHub Desktop
3. Sign in and create your first repo

--
From there, you can:

- Save commits as you go
- Publish your repo to GitHub for cloud backup
- Revert to older versions when needed

--
You can even create "branches."

Branches are safe copies of your project where you can try new ideas without breaking your main version.

--
If you use source control, you’ll never have to start a project over from scratch again.

Want to see how it works step by step?
Check out my full GitHub tutorial that I just released:
https://youtu.be/v5gnvDUWqFM

1 week ago | [YT] | 19

CodeWithChris

🚨iOS 26 LAUNCH SALE!

Celebrating the announcement of new iPhones, iOS 26, and an AI-oriented future!

But let's talk about AI and coding...

Here’s a harsh truth: vibe coding with AI will leave you stranded when things break. Real developers stay in the driver’s seat, able to figure things out.

Our CWC+ program, now updated with AI coding lessons, teaches you how to leverage AI while building future-proof development foundations.

And with our iOS 26 Launch sale, you get up to $500 off your CWC+ membership!

Offer ends soon, so don’t miss it!

Check out the sale here: cwc.to/ios26sale

1 week ago | [YT] | 13

CodeWithChris

Automate your app idea research with this Zapier workflow.

Paste a keyword into a spreadsheet and get back a preliminary analysis that you can scan in seconds.

🧵 Set it up in 3 steps:

Step 1:
--
Find good keywords with your favorite tool. I use Astro.

However, keyword research is only half the battle.

You still need to check: are ranking apps making money, are listings under-optimized, how many ratings, and other signals that you can win.

But doing this by hand is slow. Let's try to automate some of it!

Step 2:
--
Create a Google Sheet with columns keyword, score, explanation.

Step 3:
--
Set up a trigger in Zapier where adding a new keyword kicks off a workflow.

Use the AI step to automatically analyze the keyword and write back the result to the spreadsheet.

The initial score is simple: up to 4 points based on four checks:
• are there apps with ≤100 ratings?
• are there apps not using the keyword in title/subtitle?
• are there recently released apps ranking?
• are there apps generating revenue?

This workflow lets me sift more keywords, faster, then cherry-pick winners for deeper research and prototypes.

I show how to build this workflow in my latest video:
https://youtu.be/WKN0spC_o08

1 week ago | [YT] | 29

CodeWithChris

Here’s how I used AI tools to design a clean app interface and bring it to life inside Cursor.

The problem with most AI design tools?

If you just drop in a generic prompt, you’ll usually get the same "safe" blue-and-white businessy designs.

Not terrible, but also not unique.

The fix:

Combine UX Pilot (AI design generator) with Mobbin (a huge library of real app screenshots).

👉 Mobbin gives you style inspiration
👉 UX Pilot turns that vibe into a new design

Example: I wanted a design for a tip calculator app.

I grabbed a screenshot from the Crypto com app inside Mobbin, then asked AI to describe the design and use that as the style reference in UX Pilot.

The result?

Check out the screenshot for yourself

From there, I could tweak it with simple prompts:
- remove backgrounds
- remove charts
- adjust UI elements

Once the design looked good, I brought it into Cursor.

Cursor can take your screenshot + context (like your SwiftUI ContentView file) and implement the layout directly in code.

Learn to use AI tools to enhance your workflow!

Sometimes it's about combining multiple tools like in this example.

Combine this design workflow with the AI coding workflow earlier in this series and you'll be able to create your app idea easily.

Here's where keyword research comes in.

Find app store search phrases with high demand and low competition, build an app around them, and you’ll start getting organic downloads.

I’ve done this myself.

A handful of simple apps, no big marketing push, but steady growth because they rank for the right keywords.

I demonstrate all these steps in part 5 of my video series on How To Build an App with AI.

If you'd like to dive into more details and follow along, check it out! https://youtu.be/HtuGkTjh6u0

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1 month ago | [YT] | 46

CodeWithChris

Ever wondered how to build an iOS app with AI — even if you’ve never coded before?

Here’s my step-by-step process using Cursor to go from idea to app.

There are only TWO steps.

Step 1:
---
Create a requirements document. This tells AI exactly what you want.

Include:
- App overview & goals

- User stories (what users can do)

- Features & screens

- Data storage details

- Step-by-step build plan

(I have a prompt to generate this)

Pro tip:
---
Try to flesh out your app idea as much as possible.

If you’re vague, AI will fill in the blanks for you (sometimes with stuff you don’t want). The clearer you are, the closer the build will match your vision.

Step 2:
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Follow the Build → Test → Save method for each build step of the doc.

- Build: Prompt AI to implement the next step.

- Test: Run it in the iOS simulator to make sure it works.

- Save: Use GitHub for source control or make a copy of your project folder.

If you hit an error:
---
- Ask AI in context (share error logs or screenshots)

- Let it guide you through a fix

- Worst case? Roll back to your last good save and try again

Bonus tip:
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AI results vary.

The same prompt might give you slightly different layouts or features. That’s normal — just adjust the requirements doc and prompt again until it matches what you want.

Result:
---
By the end of this process, you’ll have a functional app built with AI.
AI can’t read your mind — but if you can describe your idea clearly, it can build it for you.

If you’ve been waiting to try building your own app, now’s the time.

Next step? Use AI to design your app and make it look great. That’s what we’ll cover in the next part of this series.

I demonstrate all these steps in part 4 of my video series on How To Build an App with AI here on YT.
If you'd like to dive into more details and follow along, you know where to go ;)

1 month ago | [YT] | 67