N26 iOS Engineer Interview Experience + Questions

In early 2022, I applied for an iOS Engineer position at N26 in Berlin. Over the course of six weeks, I went through a multi-stage process that was equal parts challenging and professional.

Here’s my journey, broken down step-by-step — from online application to final recruiter wrap-up.

Stage 1: Recruiter Screening (30 minutes)

It kicked off with a casual video call with a recruiter from N26.

We talked about my professional background, motivation to join a fintech company, and what excited me about N26. It was more conversational than evaluative, and a nice warm-up for what was to come.

💻 Stage 2: HackerRank Challenge (1 hour)

Next up was a 1-hour HackerRank challenge — featuring 6 quiz-style questions and 1 coding task.

I’ll be honest: it was tight on time. The logic puzzles were non-trivial, and the time limit added pressure. You’ll need to be sharp with string manipulation, array handling, and basic algorithm patterns.

If you’re preparing, I’d recommend brushing up on:

• Permutations & combinations
• HashMap/Set usage
• Time/space complexity analysis

Stage 3: Take-Home Project (4 days)

This was the most substantial part.

N26 sent me a well-scoped app-building challenge with specific requirements. It wasn’t just a “todo app,” but a use case that tested architectural decisions, API handling, error states, and Swift best practices.

I was given 4 days, and I made sure to:

• Keep the code modular (MVVM for the win)
• Use Codable, URLSession, and DispatchQueue properly
• Add meaningful unit tests
• Write a README explaining architecture & decisions

It felt like a real-world simulation rather than an arbitrary test.

Stage 4: Technical Interview (90 minutes)

This was a deep-dive with the iOS team into my submitted project.

They asked about:

• My architecture choices
• Why I chose certain design patterns
• How I’d handle error states, edge cases, scalability
• What I’d change with more time
• Questions around daily iOS practices — testing, CI/CD, working with designers or backend teams

It was one of the most insightful and collaborative technical interviews I’ve had. The team was sharp and respectful. I learned a lot just discussing my own code with them.

Stage 5: Interview with Engineering Manager (30 minutes)

This was more about team fit, growth goals, and engineering culture. We spoke about:

• How I handle collaboration across disciplines
• Legacy code experiences (especially Objective-C)
• My approach to self-development
• What I’d like to learn and how I want to evolve as an engineer

It felt like a two-way conversation — not just them evaluating me, but also offering a glimpse into N26’s engineering ethos.

I’ve been through 80+ iOS interviews over the last few years — from startups to FAANG to companies like Intuit — and I started noticing patterns in the questions, That’s why I created something I wish I had when I started: **Cracking the iOS Interview — Cheat Sheet ♥**

This Cheat Sheet can 2X your chances of cracking your next big opportunity with minimal efforts!

N26 Actual Interview Questions

• “How do you stay up to date with the iOS ecosystem?”
• “What architectural pattern would you choose if starting a new project?”
• “Have you ever worked with CI/CD?”
• “How do you collaborate with designers or Android developers?”
• “What’s the hardest part of communicating with non-engineers?”
• “What’s one feature you built at work that was inspired by the iOS community?”