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Build a User Management App with Swift and SwiftUI

This tutorial demonstrates how to build a basic user management app. The app authenticates and identifies the user, stores their profile information in the database, and allows the user to log in, update their profile details, and upload a profile photo. The app uses:

Supabase User Management example

Note

If you get stuck while working through this guide, you can find the full example on GitHub.

Project setup

Before you start building you need to set up the Database and API. You can do this by starting a new Project in Supabase and then creating a "schema" inside the database.

Create a project

  1. Create a new project in the Supabase Dashboard.
  2. Enter your project details.
  3. Wait for the new database to launch.

Set up the database schema

Now set up the database schema. You can use the "User Management Starter" quickstart in the SQL Editor, or you can copy/paste the SQL from below and run it.

DashboardSQL

  1. Go to the SQL Editor page in the Dashboard.
  2. Click User Management Starter under the Reference > Examples tab.
  3. Click Run.

Note

You can pull the database schema down to your local project by running the db pull command. Read the local development docs for detailed instructions.

supabase link --project-ref <project-id>
# You can get <project-id> from your project's dashboard URL: https://supabase.com/dashboard/project/<project-id>
supabase db pull

Get API details

To interact with data in database tables, you use the client libraries that wrap the auto-generated Data API endpoints, authenticating using the Project URL and key from the project Connect dialog.

Project URL: https://<project-ref>.supabase.co (find yours in the dashboard)

Publishable key: sb_publishable_... (find yours in the dashboard)

Note

See API keys for a full explanation of all key types, their uses, and where to find them.

Building the app

Build the SwiftUI app from scratch.

Create a SwiftUI app in Xcode

Open Xcode and create a new SwiftUI project.

Add the supabase-swift dependency.

Add the https://github.com/supabase/supabase-swift package to your app. For instructions, see the Apple tutorial on adding package dependencies.

Create a helper file to initialize the Supabase client. You need the API URL and the key that you copied earlier. These variables will be exposed on the application, and that's completely fine since you have Row Level Security enabled on your database.

Supabase.swift

import Foundation
import Supabase

let supabase = SupabaseClient(
  supabaseURL: URL(string: "YOUR_SUPABASE_URL")!,
  supabaseKey: "YOUR_SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY"
)

Set up a sign-in view

Set up a SwiftUI view to manage sign-ins and sign-ups. Users should be able to sign in using a magic link.

AuthView.swift

import SwiftUI
import Supabase

struct AuthView: View {
  @State var email = ""
  @State var isLoading = false
  @State var result: Result<Void, Error>?

  var body: some View {
    Form {
      Section {
        TextField("Email", text: $email)
          .textContentType(.emailAddress)
          .textInputAutocapitalization(.never)
          .autocorrectionDisabled()
      }

      Section {
        Button("Sign in") {
          signInButtonTapped()
        }

        if isLoading {
          ProgressView()
        }
      }

      if let result {
        Section {
          switch result {
          case .success:
            Text("Check your inbox.")
          case .failure(let error):
            Text(error.localizedDescription).foregroundStyle(.red)
          }
        }
      }
    }
    .onOpenURL(perform: { url in
      Task {
        do {
          try await supabase.auth.session(from: url)
        } catch {
          self.result = .failure(error)
        }
      }
    })
  }

  func signInButtonTapped() {
    Task {
      isLoading = true
      defer { isLoading = false }

      do {
        try await supabase.auth.signInWithOTP(
            email: email,
            redirectTo: URL(string: "io.supabase.user-management://login-callback")
        )
        result = .success(())
      } catch {
        result = .failure(error)
      }
    }
  }
}

Note

The example uses a custom redirectTo URL. For this to work, add a custom redirect URL to Supabase and a custom URL scheme to your SwiftUI application. Follow the guide on implementing deep link handling.

Account view

After a user is signed in, you can allow them to edit their profile details and manage their account.

Create a new view for that called ProfileView.swift.

ProfileView.swift

import SwiftUI

struct ProfileView: View {
  @State var username = ""
  @State var fullName = ""
  @State var website = ""

  @State var isLoading = false

  var body: some View {
    NavigationStack {
      Form {
        Section {
          TextField("Username", text: $username)
            .textContentType(.username)
            .textInputAutocapitalization(.never)
          TextField("Full name", text: $fullName)
            .textContentType(.name)
          TextField("Website", text: $website)
            .textContentType(.URL)
            .textInputAutocapitalization(.never)
        }

        Section {
          Button("Update profile") {
            updateProfileButtonTapped()
          }
          .bold()

          if isLoading {
            ProgressView()
          }
        }
      }
      .navigationTitle("Profile")
      .toolbar(content: {
        ToolbarItem(placement: .topBarLeading){
          Button("Sign out", role: .destructive) {
            Task {
              try? await supabase.auth.signOut()
            }
          }
        }
      })
    }
    .task {
      await getInitialProfile()
    }
  }

  func getInitialProfile() async {
    do {
      let currentUser = try await supabase.auth.session.user

      let profile: Profile =
      try await supabase
        .from("profiles")
        .select()
        .eq("id", value: currentUser.id)
        .single()
        .execute()
        .value

      self.username = profile.username ?? ""
      self.fullName = profile.fullName ?? ""
      self.website = profile.website ?? ""

    } catch {
      debugPrint(error)
    }
  }

  func updateProfileButtonTapped() {
    Task {
      isLoading = true
      defer { isLoading = false }
      do {
        let currentUser = try await supabase.auth.session.user

        try await supabase
          .from("profiles")
          .update(
            UpdateProfileParams(
              username: username,
              fullName: fullName,
              website: website
            )
          )
          .eq("id", value: currentUser.id)
          .execute()
      } catch {
        debugPrint(error)
      }
    }
  }
}

Models

In ProfileView.swift, you used 2 model types for deserializing the response and serializing the request to Supabase. Add those in a new Models.swift file.

Models.swift

struct Profile: Decodable {
  let username: String?
  let fullName: String?
  let website: String?

  enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey {
    case username
    case fullName = "full_name"
    case website
  }
}

struct UpdateProfileParams: Encodable {
  let username: String
  let fullName: String
  let website: String

  enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey {
    case username
    case fullName = "full_name"
    case website
  }
}

Profile photos

Next, add a way for users to upload a profile photo. Supabase configures every project with Storage for managing large files like photos and videos.

Add PhotosPicker

Add support for the user to pick an image from the library and upload it. Start by creating a new type to hold the picked avatar image:

AvatarImage.swift

import SwiftUI

struct AvatarImage: Transferable, Equatable {
  let image: Image
  let data: Data

  static var transferRepresentation: some TransferRepresentation {
    DataRepresentation(importedContentType: .image) { data in
      guard let image = AvatarImage(data: data) else {
        throw TransferError.importFailed
      }

      return image
    }
  }
}

extension AvatarImage {
  init?(data: Data) {
    guard let uiImage = UIImage(data: data) else {
      return nil
    }

    let image = Image(uiImage: uiImage)
    self.init(image: image, data: data)
  }
}

enum TransferError: Error {
  case importFailed
}

Add PhotosPicker to profile page

ProfileView.swift

import PhotosUI
import Storage
import Supabase
import SwiftUI

struct ProfileView: View {
  @State var username = ""
  @State var fullName = ""
  @State var website = ""

  @State var isLoading = false

 @State var imageSelection: PhotosPickerItem?
 @State var avatarImage: AvatarImage?

  var body: some View {
    NavigationStack {
      Form {
        Section {
          HStack {
            Group {
              if let avatarImage {
                avatarImage.image.resizable()
              } else {
                Color.clear
              }
            }
            .scaledToFit()
            .frame(width: 80, height: 80)

            Spacer()

            PhotosPicker(selection: $imageSelection, matching: .images) {
              Image(systemName: "pencil.circle.fill")
                .symbolRenderingMode(.multicolor)
                .font(.system(size: 30))
                .foregroundColor(.accentColor)
            }
          }
        }

        Section {
          TextField("Username", text: $username)
            .textContentType(.username)
            .textInputAutocapitalization(.never)
          TextField("Full name", text: $fullName)
            .textContentType(.name)
          TextField("Website", text: $website)
            .textContentType(.URL)
            .textInputAutocapitalization(.never)
        }

        Section {
          Button("Update profile") {
            updateProfileButtonTapped()
          }
          .bold()

          if isLoading {
            ProgressView()
          }
        }
      }
      .navigationTitle("Profile")
      .toolbar(content: {
        ToolbarItem {
          Button("Sign out", role: .destructive) {
            Task {
              try? await supabase.auth.signOut()
            }
          }
        }
      })
      .onChange(of: imageSelection) { _, newValue in
        guard let newValue else { return }
        loadTransferable(from: newValue)
      }
    }
    .task {
      await getInitialProfile()
    }
  }

  func getInitialProfile() async {
    do {
      let currentUser = try await supabase.auth.session.user

      let profile: Profile =
      try await supabase
        .from("profiles")
        .select()
        .eq("id", value: currentUser.id)
        .single()
        .execute()
        .value

      username = profile.username ?? ""
      fullName = profile.fullName ?? ""
      website = profile.website ?? ""

      if let avatarURL = profile.avatarURL, !avatarURL.isEmpty {
        try await downloadImage(path: avatarURL)
      }

    } catch {
      debugPrint(error)
    }
  }

  func updateProfileButtonTapped() {
    Task {
      isLoading = true
      defer { isLoading = false }
      do {
        let imageURL = try await uploadImage()

        let currentUser = try await supabase.auth.session.user

        let updatedProfile = Profile(
          username: username,
          fullName: fullName,
          website: website,
          avatarURL: imageURL
        )

        try await supabase
          .from("profiles")
          .update(updatedProfile)
          .eq("id", value: currentUser.id)
          .execute()
      } catch {
        debugPrint(error)
      }
    }
  }

  private func loadTransferable(from imageSelection: PhotosPickerItem) {
    Task {
      do {
        avatarImage = try await imageSelection.loadTransferable(type: AvatarImage.self)
      } catch {
        debugPrint(error)
      }
    }
  }

  private func downloadImage(path: String) async throws {
    let data = try await supabase.storage.from("avatars").download(path: path)
    avatarImage = AvatarImage(data: data)
  }

  private func uploadImage() async throws -> String? {
    guard let data = avatarImage?.data else { return nil }

    let filePath = "\(UUID().uuidString).jpeg"

    try await supabase.storage
      .from("avatars")
      .upload(
        filePath,
        data: data,
        options: FileOptions(contentType: "image/jpeg")
      )

    return filePath
  }
}

Finally, update your Models.

Models.swift

struct Profile: Codable {
  let username: String?
  let fullName: String?
  let website: String?
  let avatarURL: String?

  enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey {
    case username
    case fullName = "full_name"
    case website
    case avatarURL = "avatar_url"
  }
}

You no longer need the UpdateProfileParams struct, as you can now reuse the Profile struct for both request and response calls.

Launch!

With all the views in place, add an entry point for the application.

Add a new AppView.swift file.

AppView.swift

import SwiftUI

struct AppView: View {
  @State var isAuthenticated = false

  var body: some View {
    Group {
      if isAuthenticated {
        ProfileView()
      } else {
        AuthView()
      }
    }
    .task {
      for await state in supabase.auth.authStateChanges {
        if [.initialSession, .signedIn, .signedOut].contains(state.event) {
          isAuthenticated = state.session != nil
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Update the entry point to the newly created AppView. Run in Xcode to launch your application in the simulator.

At this stage you have a fully functional application!

Edit on GitHub