As a senior developer, learning a new language isn’t as hard as it was when I was starting my career, the way you express yourself is similar to other languages, so you think more about “what’s the syntax for doing X in this language?” vs “how would I do this?“.
So why learn Swift? Is it to just do apps for the Apple ecosystem? — I mean, I have been doing apps for the same ecosystem using React-Native. I don’t need to learn a new language to make good apps for the users inside their ecosystem.
I’m learning Swift because I want to make experiences that I believe right now I cannot make with tools like React-Native. Experiences that make my users feel engaged but that also, makes them feel appreciated in different ways.
I want to be able to reduce the size of my app and respect the space inside their devices. I want to be able to not allow 3rd party dependencies I have no control over to spy on my users data. I want to be mindful of the user capabilities and give them a tool that enhances their life while I minimize the time I have to spend to do it.
In the end, it’s mostly about the user, but it’s also about me. Being a beginner again at one field shifts your perspective on you approach problems in your previous field, that’s something that I would recommend to any developer. Learn another language, do a side project yourself or with some friends on that language and share the experience with individuals with more experience on that field. You will be surprised how much they can learn from you too.