Claude Code Ios Dev Guide

Claude Code CLI - Complete iOS Development Setup Guide
A comprehensive guide for setting up Claude Code CLI with PRD-driven workflows, extended thinking (ultrathink), and planning modes optimized for Swift/SwiftUI iOS development.

Table of Contents

1. Installation
2. Configuration Hierarchy
3. CLAUDE.md Setup for iOS Projects
4. PRD-Driven Development Workflow
5. Extended Thinking & Ultrathink
6. Plan Mode Configuration
7. XcodeBuildMCP Integration
8. Custom Slash Commands for iOS
9. Agent Skills
10. Subagents Configuration
11. Output Styles
12. Plugins System
13. Sandbox Mode & Safe Development
14. Settings & Permissions
15. Hooks for Swift Development
16. Complete Project Structure
17. Best Practices & Tips

1. Installation

Native Installation (Recommended)

NPM Installation (Alternative)

Authentication

Model Selection

2. Configuration Hierarchy

Claude Code uses a layered configuration system where each level can override the one below:

Configuration Scopes

Key Configuration Files

3. CLAUDE.md Setup for iOS Projects

The CLAUDE.md file is your primary context provider. Claude automatically loads it at session start.

Root CLAUDE.md Template for iOS

Create CLAUDE.md in your project root:

MyApp/
├── App/                    # App entry point, App delegate
├── Features/               # Feature modules
│   ├── [FeatureName]/
│   │   ├── Views/          # SwiftUI views
│   │   ├── ViewModels/     # @Observable classes
│   │   └── Models/         # Data models
├── Core/                   # Shared utilities
│   ├── Extensions/
│   ├── Services/
│   └── Networking/
├── Resources/              # Assets, Localizations
└── Tests/
swift
// Use NavigationStack with type-safe routing
enum Route: Hashable {
    case detail(Item)
    case settings
}

NavigationStack(path:…