StreetComplete on iOS is now in public beta

If you use StreetComplete to contribute to OpenStreetMap, the app is now available on your iPhone.

StreetComplete, a popular Android app for improving OpenStreetMap data, has launched its public beta for iOS. The development leverages Kotlin Multiplatform and Compose Multiplatform, JetBrains' UI toolkit for building natively compiled applications across multiple platforms. This approach aims to maintain a single codebase for both Android and iOS versions, minimizing future maintenance overhead. The project is currently estimated to be about 50% complete, with the developers seeking community contributions to finalize the port. A Kanban-style project board is available for volunteers to take on specific development tasks, and financial sponsorship is also welcomed to accelerate progress. The goal is to offer a seamless user experience on iOS that mirrors the functionality of the Android application.

The public beta of StreetComplete on iOS signals a growing trend in cross-platform mobile development, particularly the adoption of Kotlin Multiplatform and Compose Multiplatform. By using a single codebase for both Android and iOS, the project aims to reduce development time and maintenance costs significantly. This strategy contrasts with approaches like Flutter, which would require a complete rewrite in Dart, highlighting a preference for leveraging existing Kotlin expertise. The use of Compose Multiplatform, an extension of Jetpack Compose, suggests that declarative UI frameworks are becoming the standard for modern mobile development, offering a reactive and code-centric way to build user interfaces.

This development directly impacts the OpenStreetMap community by expanding the user base of StreetComplete to iOS users, potentially increasing data contributions. For developers interested in multiplatform development, this project serves as a case study for migrating a complex Android application using Kotlin Multiplatform and Compose. The success of this port could encourage more developers to adopt similar strategies, potentially leading to a wider availability of sophisticated applications across different mobile operating systems with reduced development effort.