Apple recently unveiled a series of updates to its developer tools and software platforms to enhance the creation of new app experiences across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

The company introduced a new software design known as Liquid Glass, which aims to prioritize content across Apple devices while maintaining a sense of familiarity. This design encompasses various interface elements like buttons, sliders, and navigation features.

Frameworks like SwiftUI have been revamped to help developers embrace this new design. Additionally, Apple revealed a new Icon Composer app to assist developers and designers in creating consistent and modern app icons with advanced features such as blurring and translucency adjustment.

Apple also introduced the Foundation Models framework, allowing developers to create on-device experiences using Apple Intelligence. This framework supports Swift and simplifies access to Apple's on-device AI models with minimal code, focusing on offline availability and user privacy.

Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations, emphasized the role of developers in shaping user experiences across Apple platforms. The new intelligence features in Xcode 26 empower developers to build richer and more intuitive apps for users globally.

Automattic has already leveraged the Foundation Models framework for its Day One journaling app, enabling innovative approaches to journaling that prioritize intelligence and privacy.

Xcode 26

Apple updated its integrated development environment with Xcode 26, incorporating intelligence features to assist developers in various tasks like code writing, test generation, and error fixing. Xcode now supports integration with large language models and third-party API keys.

Coding Tools in Xcode 26 offer suggested actions and support for tasks directly within the editor, along with a redesigned navigation interface and expanded voice control capabilities.

App Intents and Visual Intelligence

The update includes enhancements to App Intents, enabling developers to provide visual search results that link users directly to their apps. Etsy is using visual intelligence to enhance product discovery within its app.

Swift 6.2 and New Framework Support

Swift 6.2 brings improved performance, concurrency, and interoperability, with expanded support for WebAssembly. The Containerisation framework allows developers to run Linux container images on Macs optimized for Apple silicon.

Gaming Tools and APIs

Game developers can benefit from updates like Game Porting Toolkit 3, Metal 4 APIs for Apple silicon, and support for running inference networks in shaders. Additional features include MetalFX Frame Interpolation, Denoising, and enhancements to Game Center.

Child Safety and Accessibility

New features like the Declared Age Range API and App Store Accessibility Nutrition Labels help developers deliver age-appropriate content and provide detailed accessibility information before app downloads. The App Store Connect app also gains new capabilities for managing feedback, crash reports, and asset management.

Apple Intelligence features require supported devices and are available on the latest iPhones, select iPads, and Macs with M1 processors. More languages are expected to be supported by the end of the year.