Apple Opens On-Device AI to Developers, Adds LLM Integration in Xcode 26

Apple has announced a suite of new tools and technologies for developers, unveiling a significant software redesign across all its platforms, direct developer access to its on-device AI models, and a major overhaul of Xcode. The announcements, made at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, aim to give developers new ways to build more intelligent and engaging apps.



The most visible change is a new design language, built around a material Apple calls "Liquid Glass." Inspired by the look of visionOS, this aesthetic will be applied universally to iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe 26, as well as watchOS and tvOS. The new look, previously rumored under the codename Solarium, affects everything from buttons and sliders to larger navigation elements like tab bars and sidebars, creating a more cohesive feel. A new Icon Composer app will also help developers create layered icons that adapt to various system appearances.




For the first time, Apple is opening its on-device AI to developers through a new Foundation Models framework. This will allow apps to tap into Apple Intelligence for new features that can run offline while protecting user privacy. Paul Mayne, head of the journaling app Day One, noted, "The Foundation Model framework has helped us rethink what's possible with journaling... Now we can bring intelligence and privacy together in ways that deeply respect our users."



Xcode 26 is also getting a major intelligence boost. The development environment will now let developers connect large language models like ChatGPT directly into their workflow, following earlier reports that Apple was exploring such integrations. Developers can also use API keys from other providers or run local models on their Mac.




Gaming on Apple platforms gets a significant push with Game Porting Toolkit 3 and Metal 4, which introduces advanced rendering technologies like MetalFX Frame Interpolation and Denoising. A new Apple Games app will also debut for players and developers, serving as a hub for game libraries, social features, and re-engagement tools like Challenges and a new in-game Game Overlay. To simplify asset management, Apple also introduced Managed Background Assets, providing developers with 200GB of free Apple hosting.





Other notable developer updates include Swift 6.2, which introduces improvements to concurrency and performance, interoperability with C++, Java, and JavaScript, and now supports WebAssembly. App Intents gains support for visual search, a new Containerization framework allows for running Linux images directly on Mac, and an expanded suite of child safety tools includes the new Declared Age Range API.



On the App Store, Apple is expanding its Accessibility Nutrition Labels to give users clearer information about supported accessibility features before download. App Store Connect has been updated to let developers view TestFlight screenshots and crash feedback, and its API now supports webhooks for real-time updates.



Developer betas for the new operating systems are available now, with a public beta set to launch next month. Apple Intelligence will initially support English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese, with more languages coming later this year. The features will require all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), or a Mac or iPad with an M1 chip or later.