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Building VTOPiOS: Reimagining the VTOP Experience

•3 min read

# Building VTOPiOS: Reimagining the VTOP Experience

Every VIT Chennai student knows the pain. You open VTOP on your phone, wait for what feels like an eternity for the page to load, squint at the tiny text, and navigate through a maze of menus just to check your attendance. It's 2025, and we're still dealing with a web interface that feels like it's from 2005.

I got tired of it. So I built VTOPiOS.

## The Problem

VTOP (VIT's student portal) is functional, but the mobile experience is terrible:

  • Slow page loads
  • Non-responsive design
  • Multiple clicks to get basic information
  • No offline support
  • Cluttered interface

As someone who checks attendance and marks regularly, I found myself dreading opening VTOP on my iPhone. There had to be a better way.

## The Solution

I decided to build a native iOS app that would:

  1. Cache all your data locally for instant access
  2. Present information in a clean, native iOS interface
  3. Provide smart insights (like how many classes you can skip)
  4. Sync quietly in the background
  5. Store credentials securely in iOS Keychain

## Building It

The development journey was intense. I used Swift and SwiftUI, learning along the way. Some key challenges:

### Reverse Engineering VTOP's API

VTOP doesn't have a public API, so I had to reverse engineer it by inspecting network requests. This involved understanding session management, cookies, and the various endpoints for different data types.

### Handling Authentication

Security was crucial. I used iOS Keychain to store credentials and implemented a session management system that handles token refreshes automatically.

### Building the UI

I wanted the app to feel native and intuitive. Every screen went through multiple iterations based on user feedback. The color-coded attendance system (green/orange/red) was a hit.

### Performance Optimization

Caching was essential. I implemented a smart caching strategy that:

  • Stores data locally using UserDefaults and Core Data
  • Syncs in the background when the app opens
  • Shows cached data immediately while fetching updates

## The Impact

Since launching on TestFlight, the response has been incredible. Students are actually enjoying checking their attendance and marks. Some feedback I've received:

// quote

"This app is what VTOP should have been from the start."

// quote

"I can finally check my attendance without wanting to throw my phone."

The app now has features like:

  • Dashboard with CGPA and attendance overview
  • Smart timetable that shows actual course names
  • Attendance tracking with skip/attend calculations
  • Marks and grades visualization
  • Fast, offline-first experience

## What's Next

I'm actively working on:

  • Improving the timetable view
  • Adding UI animations and transitions
  • Smart notifications for low attendance
  • Support for more VIT campuses

## Lessons Learned

Building VTOPiOS taught me:

  1. User experience matters - A familiar interface is often better than a fancy one
  2. Performance is a feature - Speed can make or break an app
  3. Start small, iterate - I launched with basic features and added more based on feedback
  4. Security first - Never compromise on user data protection

If you're a VIT Chennai student with an iPhone, you can try VTOPiOS on TestFlight. And if you're a builder reading this: don't wait for someone else to fix the problems you face. Build the solution yourself.

Want to share feedback or ideas? Reach out to me on Instagram or email.