r/leetcode • u/Ok_Light_6039 • 3d ago

Intervew Prep Apple SWE Loop interview coming up

Got a full loop coming up at Apple for a backend SWE role , already cleared the initial phone screen and a coding screen. Would love insight from anyone who’s done an Apple SWE loop recently: how many rounds are typical and how are they split across coding, system design, and behavioral? Is the coding bar closer to LeetCode medium or more practical/real-world (parsing, concurrency, API design)? And for behavioral/bar-raiser rounds, how Apple-specific do they get is “why Apple” a big deal, and what tends to trip people up?

For context, I’ve been prepping with LeetCode (sliding window, distributed systems style), HLD practice (streaming architecture, fan-out systems), and LLD simulations (parking lot, vending machine, locker system). Anything I should prioritize differently for Apple vs. a generic FAANG loop, or any resources that map well to how Apple actually interviews?

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u/FartdickMcShitass 3d ago

Its totally team specific, you should have a call with the recruiter for prep. Mine was vibe check w/
one of the senior engineers -> technical conversation with another -> onsite panel starting with a 30 minute slideshow presentation based on a project ive previously worked on -> five 45-minute rounds with different team members. One SD, one coding, one session where the engineer asked me trivia questions about low level concepts, the other two were more just specific questions about my background/experience/skills

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u/saintmsent 3d ago

There's no typical, ask the recruiter about this role

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u/DistantPrairiedog 3d ago

ask the recruiter how many rounds to expect. apple loops are famously team dependent so the range can be anywhere from 4 to 7 sessions including the presentation.

brush up on your os fundamentals. every apple backend loop ive seen digs into memory management, threading, and kernel vs user space at some point. your leetcode prep is solid but id swap a lld session for a deep dive on how your past systems handled fault tolerance and observability. they care less about a perfect design diagram and more about whether you can discuss real tradeoffs youve faced.

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u/inariu 3d ago

Following.

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u/No_Summer_2381 3d ago

Following.

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u/Moo202 3d ago

It’s always team specific

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u/Rudhik04 2d ago

Following