Supporting Multiple Screen Sizes in Storyboards (3.5 and 4 Inch Screens)

Fit an iOS application developed for 4 inch screen to 3.5 inch screen

This is exactly what auto layout exists for. You can create a UI, using storyboards, that works perfectly for both screen sizes. You can toggle a setting in the storyboard to have it display the two different screen sizes, so you can easily see how your views will move and resize. There is also a preview mode for the storyboard that lets you see how it will look. It also lets you see how it will look on both iOS 6 and iOS 7, so that you can make sure that your UI looks good on both assuming you still support iOS 6.

If you had done this in code, it would probably have been a whole lot more complicated, especially since you have to run it each time to see what changes when you adjust your code. Graphical layout tools such as Interface Builder (what allows you to view and edit storyboards and XIB files) make supporting multiple screen sizes very easy. Plus, generally it's not too hard to make a screen designed for a 4" screen work with a 3.5" screen, in some cases you just have to make things fit a little closer together, or perhaps have the content in a scroll view.

iOS Storyboard, layout shifts awkwardly between 4.0 inch screen size and 3.5 inch screen size

Autolayout did a HUGE step forward from Xcode 4.x to 5.0. One of the things were Apple listened to the developers was: auto-layout now per default does NOT create any auto-constraints, anymore. This means: you have a full static layout (with abolsolute coordinates) while you pull in all your controls (and you can at any timepoint remove all contraints later easily, to get back to that state.). The suggested workflow is to add contraints one-by-one from then on. Which leads to full controll on the developers side at any state.

That said. My suggestion for you is: turn auto-layout ON. Then place all your controls to a static position on the 3.5 screen. If you dont want to support portrait/landscape or iPhone/iPad, then simply do NOT add any constraints. And you are done, because a static layout that fits on a 3.5 screeen should also work on a 4.0 screen.

Once you want to support iPad or landscape modes with the same scene, add constraints one by one. It really works. Auto-layout is your friend now (starting with Xcode 5). Believe me.

How to optimize screen size designed for 4 inch compatible with 3.5 inch

You have two main options:

Use autolayout to auto rezie/move the views depending on the size of the screen.

Use 2 different storyboards and load one or the other depending on the size of the screen.

Support of iPhone 4-inch screen by storyboard

To enable your apps to work with iPhone 5, I suggest you to do two things.

First you need to add a retina version of the launcher image. It should be named Default-568h@2x.png.

And second use Auto Layout and make sure you have your autoresizing mask set up correctly for all your views.

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