your next app starts here (probably)

write Swift
on your iPad.
no Mac.
it barely works

birb. is a SwiftUI interpreter. it runs your code on the iPad or iPhone itself: edit, see the change right beside the editor, build a real app when you're ready. the drawings are bad on purpose. the interpreter is not a drawing.

look inside the real app ↓

made for iPad & iPhone · built for Swift

birb. update date temporarily unavailable.

(yes, the bird is supposed to look like that)

this part is real. tap the panels, they work. the app inside is a sample, doodle and all (it shows).

fig. 1 — the birb. app: Open, Preview, resizable panels. the project inside it is a sample. yes, it looks nicer than the website. that's on purpose.fig. 1 — the actual app, shrunk to fit. it's tiny here. rotate your phone or tap full size for the iPad layout.full size ↗

01 / the preview is the point

you can see it. that's the whole trick.

that change you made. right there, in your app.

The on-device interpreter in birb. turns your Swift code into an interactive native preview, right beside the editor. Try a layout. Adjust a colour. Ask the agent for a change. See your SwiftUI code come to life without queuing a full device build each time.

meet the interpreter →

edit your Swiftby hand or with the agent

see itlocal, interactive preview

make it a real appbuild and install when you're ready

this is a drawing of the idea. the real one is up there ↑

Image(systemName: "bird")

Text("")

.foregroundStyle()

.padding()

hello birb

From pure SwiftUI apps in the first iteration to apps like BookPlayer and NetNewsWire in the newest version. The repo links identify the apps; they are not independent verification. explore the interpreter's progress ↗

BookPlayer and NetNewsWire run in the newest version. we're as surprised as you.

02 / your ideas. your agent.

an agent lives in here. the model is your call.

50+

providers. your pick.

an agent that lives in birb. the model is up to you.

birb. has its own on-device agent to explore your project, work on code, and help move an idea forward. Connect to over 50 AI providers and work with the models you prefer. The agent runs on your device and calls your chosen provider for model responses.

real app

fig. 2 — a sample conversation in the actual app.full size ↗

03 / keep things moving

birb. is working…updating your project

BGContinuedProcessingTask

switch apps. birb. keeps going (when iOS lets it).

Started a task and need to step away? birb. supports continued background work through BGContinuedProcessingTask, with progress managed by iOS. Background time and availability are controlled by the system.

04 / beyond the preview

not just a preview. an actual app you can install.

When you're ready, make an actual device build. birb. builds and signs an IPA for your registered device using your Apple Developer team. Install it and run it on its own.

plans (soon) →

less friction. more making.

for wherever you like to build.

no Mac yet? Mac at home? both fine.

your iPad is your computer.
you shouldn't have to buy a Mac to turn an idea into a native iOS app. start on the device you already own.
you want to see what you're building.
stop coding blind. keep the preview next to your Swift and decide with the interface in front of you.
your Mac can stay at home.
the train, the sofa, the gap between meetings. your iPhone and iPad can be part of the workflow.
not every small change is a CI job.
save the GitHub runner minutes for device builds that matter. use Local Preview to explore the look and feel between installs.