On-Demand Resources allow you to ship a smaller initial app download and fetch additional assets like images, sounds, level data, ML models, and more only when a user requires them. This week, we’ll explore how to utilize on-demand resources to store secrets outside of the app binary.

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On-Demand Resources in iOS enable downloading assets like images, ML models, or level data only when needed, reducing initial app size. Beyond typical use cases, they can enhance security by storing sensitive data like API tokens outside the app binary, making reverse engineering harder. The implementation involves enabling the feature in Xcode build settings, tagging resources (initial install, prefetched, or download-only), and using NSBundleResourceRequest API to fetch and manage resources. The system handles downloading, caching, and eviction automatically, providing a seamless experience without custom CDN logic.

On-demand resources in iOS app