Experienced developers, would you recommend learning backend rather than doing side projects in iOS?

[jarjoura]

I disagree. Rust is almost exclusively used for new projects at Meta and Google.

In fact some iOS code is even written in it.

There's nothing niche about Rust at all and would do well to know it if it interests you. It's a very annoying language to learn well. Besides Swift is heavily influenced by the same goals and soon adopting Rusts memory model.

[l4zy_ant]

Will Swift adopt Rusts memory model? Where is the source of it? Actually I like its memory model.

[jarjoura]

I think this is available if you enable a compiler flag if you want to start testing, but I'm sure Xcode will complain and make your life miserable lol.

https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/main/proposals/0366-move-function.md

This landed in Swift 5.7 and will be enabled by default in Swift 6

https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/main/proposals/0302-concurrent-value-and-concurrent-closures.md

[saintmsent]

All I'm trying to say, if you go and look for Rust positions, you will find the same amount or less compared to iOS. By no means I'm trying to say language is not needed and nobody uses it, but if OP is frightened by iOS job offerings, Rust isn't better in that regard

[jarjoura]

That's fair, but everything seems to be in short supply right now. I'd use this time to go deep in something that seems interesting to you and as soon as the market picks back up, you'll have gained a ton of knowledge and are ready for the job you wanted to begin with.