How to Build a Sign Language App in SwiftUI
A Sign Language app teaches users the ASL alphabet through looping video demonstrations and interactive practice sessions. It's ideal for beginners learning American Sign Language and iOS developers building accessible educational tools.
Prerequisites
- Mac with Xcode 16+
- Apple Developer Program ($99/year) — required for TestFlight and App Store
- Basic Swift/SwiftUI knowledge
- AVKit familiarity helpful —
AVPlayeraudio session behavior must be tested on a real device, not the Simulator - Hosted video assets (mp4) for ASL demonstrations — do not bundle all 26 videos inside the app binary
Architecture overview
The app uses SwiftData to persist per-letter practice state and quiz scores entirely on-device. An alphabet grid view and a letter detail sheet are driven by @Query and @State. AVKit's VideoPlayer streams mp4 demonstrations from a CDN via AVPlayer, while AsyncImage handles static fallback thumbnails. StoreKit 2 manages the subscription paywall with no server-side account required.
SignLanguageApp/ ├── Models/ │ ├── ASLLetter.swift # @Model: character, videoURL, imageURL │ └── LessonProgress.swift # @Model: completed letters, quiz score ├── Views/ │ ├── AlphabetGridView.swift │ ├── LetterDetailView.swift # AVPlayer + AsyncImage fallback │ └── QuizView.swift └── PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy
Step-by-step
1. Data model
Define SwiftData models for ASL letters and lesson progress so practice history survives app restarts.
import SwiftData
import Foundation
@Model
final class ASLLetter {
var character: String
var videoURL: URL?
var imageURL: String
var handshapeDescription: String
var isPracticed: Bool = false
var practiceCount: Int = 0
init(character: String, imageURL: String, handshapeDescription: String) {
self.character = character
self.imageURL = imageURL
self.handshapeDescription = handshapeDescription
}
}
@Model
final class LessonProgress {
var lettersCompleted: [String] = []
var quizScore: Int = 0
var updatedAt: Date = .now
}
2. Alphabet grid UI
Build a LazyVGrid that renders all 26 letters as tappable tiles, each loading a thumbnail via AsyncImage.
import SwiftUI
import SwiftData
struct AlphabetGridView: View {
@Query(sort: \ASLLetter.character) private var letters: [ASLLetter]
@State private var selectedLetter: ASLLetter?
let columns = [GridItem(.adaptive(minimum: 88))]
var body: some View {
NavigationStack {
ScrollView {
LazyVGrid(columns: columns, spacing: 16) {
ForEach(letters) { letter in
VStack(spacing: 6) {
AsyncImage(url: URL(string: letter.imageURL)) { img in
img.resizable().scaledToFit()
} placeholder: { ProgressView() }
.frame(width: 64, height: 64)
.clipShape(RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 10))
Text(letter.character).font(.headline)
}
.padding(8)
.background(.quaternary, in: RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 12))
.onTapGesture { selectedLetter = letter }
}
}
.padding()
}
.navigationTitle("ASL Alphabet")
.sheet(item: $selectedLetter) { LetterDetailView(letter: $0) }
}
}
}
3. ASL alphabet video playback
Stream each letter's demonstration video with AVPlayer, falling back to a static image when no video URL is available.
import SwiftUI
import AVKit
struct LetterDetailView: View {
let letter: ASLLetter
@State private var player: AVPlayer?
var body: some View {
VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 16) {
if let player {
VideoPlayer(player: player)
.frame(height: 260)
.clipShape(RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 16))
.accessibilityLabel("ASL sign for letter \(letter.character)")
} else {
AsyncImage(url: URL(string: letter.imageURL)) { img in
img.resizable().scaledToFit()
} placeholder: { ProgressView() }
.frame(height: 260)
}
Text("Letter \(letter.character)").font(.largeTitle.bold())
Text(letter.handshapeDescription).foregroundStyle(.secondary)
Button("Mark as Practiced") {
letter.isPracticed = true
letter.practiceCount += 1
}.buttonStyle(.borderedProminent)
}
.padding()
.task {
guard let url = letter.videoURL else { return }
player = AVPlayer(url: url)
player?.play()
}
}
}
4. Privacy Manifest
Add PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy to your app target to declare accessed APIs — enforced by App Store since May 2024.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN"
"http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>NSPrivacyTracking</key>
<false/>
<key>NSPrivacyTrackingDomains</key>
<array/>
<key>NSPrivacyCollectedDataTypes</key>
<array/>
<key>NSPrivacyAccessedAPITypes</key>
<array>
<dict>
<key>NSPrivacyAccessedAPIType</key>
<string>NSPrivacyAccessedAPICategoryUserDefaults</string>
<key>NSPrivacyAccessedAPITypeReasons</key>
<array><string>CA92.1</string></array>
</dict>
</array>
</dict>
</plist>
Common pitfalls
- Audio session not configured:
AVPlayerdefaults to mixing with other audio. Calltry AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setCategory(.playback)at app launch or videos will go silent when the ringer switch is off. - Bundling all 26 mp4s inflates the IPA: Embedding videos inside the app binary easily exceeds 200 MB. Host assets on a CDN and pass URLs into
AVPlayer(url:)— streaming is faster to ship and update. - Missing accessibility labels on VideoPlayer: App Review checks VoiceOver support for educational apps. Attach
.accessibilityLabel()to everyVideoPlayeror expect a rejection citing guideline 4.2. - Subscription paywall missing required disclosures: A StoreKit paywall that shows only a feature list and a price button routinely fails guideline 3.1.2. Display the renewal price, billing period, and a visible link to cancellation instructions on the same screen.
- SwiftData schema changes wipe data: Renaming a stored property without
@Attribute(originalName:)silently drops all existing records on the next launch. AdoptVersionedSchemaandSchemaMigrationPlanbefore your first public release.
Adding monetization: Subscription
Use StoreKit 2's Product.products(for:) to fetch subscription SKUs you defined in App Store Connect, then gate full alphabet access and quiz history behind a paywall. Check entitlements with Transaction.currentEntitlements — this works offline without a receipt file. Create one auto-renewable subscription group with monthly and annual tiers; Apple requires both to appear together on the paywall with their prices clearly displayed. Handle Product.SubscriptionInfo.RenewalState to surface grace-period and expiry messaging inside the app so users don't silently lose access.
Shipping this faster with Soarias
Soarias scaffolds the SwiftData models, AVKit video view, and StoreKit 2 subscription paywall from a single prompt, and generates your PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy automatically based on the APIs your code actually uses. It also writes your fastlane Deliverfile, captures App Store screenshots across all required device sizes, and submits directly to App Store Connect — steps that typically consume half a day each when wired up by hand.
For an intermediate project like this, developers typically spend 2–3 days on project scaffolding, fastlane configuration, and App Store Connect metadata before writing a single feature. Soarias compresses that overhead to under an hour, leaving the full week for ASL content, quiz logic, and UI polish.
Related guides
FAQ
Do I need a paid Apple Developer account?
Yes. The $99/year Apple Developer Program is required to distribute via TestFlight or the App Store. You can build and run on the Simulator for free, but real-device testing — essential for AVPlayer audio session behavior and video playback performance — requires a paid account.
How do I submit this to the App Store?
Archive your build in Xcode (Product → Archive), then upload via Organizer or xcrun altool. In App Store Connect, complete your app metadata, upload screenshots for all required device sizes, configure Privacy Nutrition Labels, and submit for review. First-time submissions typically take 1–3 business days.
Can I use the camera to detect ASL signs in real time?
Yes — pair VNDetectHumanHandPoseRequest from the Vision framework with an AVCaptureSession to detect hand landmarks live. This is advanced scope that significantly increases complexity, requires adding NSCameraUsageDescription to Info.plist, and must be tested on a physical device since the Simulator has no camera support.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-12 by the Soarias team.