HR Templates | Sample Interview Questions

iOS Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

Use this list of iOS Engineer interview questions and answers to gain better insight into your candidates, and make better hiring decisions.

iOS Engineer overview

When interviewing for an iOS Engineer position, it's crucial to assess the candidate's technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and familiarity with iOS development tools and frameworks. Additionally, understanding their experience with app lifecycle management, user interface design, and performance optimization is key.

Sample Interview Questions

  • How do you ensure your iOS app has a delightful user interface?

    Purpose: To gauge the candidate's attention to detail and design sensibility.

    Sample answer

    I focus on creating intuitive and visually appealing interfaces by following Apple's Human Interface Guidelines and conducting user testing to gather feedback.

  • ️ Can you walk us through your favorite debugging tools in Xcode?

    Purpose: To understand the candidate's familiarity with essential development tools.

    Sample answer

    I frequently use Xcode's built-in debugger, Instruments for performance tuning, and third-party tools like Charles Proxy for network debugging.

  • How do you handle app state transitions in iOS?

    Purpose: To assess the candidate's knowledge of app lifecycle management.

    Sample answer

    I use the AppDelegate methods to manage state transitions and ensure that the app behaves correctly when moving between active, inactive, and background states.

  • What strategies do you use to optimize app performance?

    Purpose: To evaluate the candidate's ability to enhance app performance.

    Sample answer

    I focus on efficient memory management, minimizing network calls, and using background threads for heavy tasks to keep the UI responsive.

  • How do you ensure your code is maintainable and scalable?

    Purpose: To understand the candidate's approach to writing clean and maintainable code.

    Sample answer

    I follow best practices like MVC/MVVM architecture, write unit tests, and use code reviews to maintain high code quality.

  • Can you explain how you manage dependencies in your iOS projects?

    Purpose: To assess the candidate's experience with dependency management tools.

    Sample answer

    I use CocoaPods or Carthage to manage dependencies, ensuring that all libraries are up-to-date and compatible with the project.

  • How do you handle version control in your projects?

    Purpose: To gauge the candidate's experience with version control systems.

    Sample answer

    I use Git for version control, following a branching strategy like Git Flow to manage feature development, bug fixes, and releases.

  • How do you handle network requests and data parsing in your apps?

    Purpose: To understand the candidate's approach to networking and data handling.

    Sample answer

    I use URLSession for network requests and Codable for parsing JSON data, ensuring that all network operations are performed asynchronously.

  • Can you describe a challenging bug you encountered and how you resolved it?

    Purpose: To evaluate the candidate's problem-solving skills and resilience.

    Sample answer

    I once faced a memory leak issue that was causing the app to crash. I used Instruments to identify the source and refactored the code to properly manage memory.

  • How do you measure and improve app analytics and user engagement?

    Purpose: To assess the candidate's experience with app analytics and user engagement strategies.

    Sample answer

    I integrate analytics tools like Firebase to track user behavior and use A/B testing to experiment with different features and improve user engagement.

🚨 Red Flags

Look out for these red flags when interviewing candidates for this role:

  • Lack of familiarity with Xcode and essential iOS development tools.
  • Inability to explain basic iOS concepts like app lifecycle or memory management.
  • Poor understanding of version control systems and dependency management.
  • Inability to provide examples of past work or problem-solving experiences.
  • Lack of attention to user interface design and user experience.