June 10, 2024
PRESS RELEASE
Apple empowers builders and fuels innovation with new instruments and sources
Enhancements to Xcode and Swift, mixed with new APIs, provide builders expanded capabilities for creating excessive‑high quality apps
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple at this time unveiled a set of progressive new instruments and sources designed to allow builders worldwide to create extra highly effective and environment friendly apps throughout all Apple platforms. With Xcode 16, builders can save time of their improvement course of and get extra executed because of options like Swift Help and predictive code completion. New and expanded APIs give builders the instruments to advance their apps and introduce thrilling options.
“At Apple, we’re devoted to offering builders all over the place with the cutting-edge applied sciences and sources to construct unbelievable apps,” mentioned Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice chairman of Worldwide Developer Relations. “With considerate innovation behind Xcode 16 and our newest platform APIs, we’ve created one of the best instruments for builders to create excellent apps. We’re excited to see what they construct subsequent.”
Xcode 16
Xcode 16 units a brand new normal for developer productiveness, providing options and efficiency enhancements that empower builders to construct distinctive apps sooner than ever earlier than.
Swift Help serves as a companion for all of a developer’s coding duties, to allow them to deal with higher-level issues and options. It’s seamlessly built-in into Xcode, and is aware of the newest software program improvement kits (SDKs) and Swift language options, so builders will all the time get the newest code options that mix completely into their initiatives. With Swift Help, duties like exploring new frameworks and experimenting with new concepts are only one request away. Swift Help makes use of a strong mannequin that runs within the cloud — and like all Apple developer companies, it’s constructed with privateness and safety in thoughts. Builders’ code is just used to course of requests and by no means saved on servers, and Apple is not going to use it to coach machine studying fashions.
The brand new predictive code completion engine in Xcode makes use of a singular mannequin particularly skilled for Swift and Apple SDKs, and might recommend the code builders want. Code completion is powered completely by Apple silicon and machine studying enhancements in macOS Sequoia, and runs domestically on a developer’s system — which means that code is saved fully non-public, and builders can obtain related recommendations rapidly even when working offline.
Xcode previews now provide a brand new dynamic linking structure that makes use of the identical construct artifacts for previews and code execution, making for a smoother and extra productive workflow when switching between the 2.
Further enhancements to testing environments in Xcode 16 make it simpler than ever for builders to see how their apps carry out in real-world situations from the second they start constructing them. For instance, builders can now localize and take a look at their apps’ privateness insurance policies, license agreements, and subscription group show title.
Swift 6
Swift 6 introduces new capabilities geared toward enhancing developer productiveness and code readability. As multicore architectures have made gadgets extra highly effective, Swift has regularly added options to make concurrent programming simpler. Swift 6 introduces compile-time data-race security, which diagnoses concurrent entry to reminiscence throughout a developer’s mission at compile time. This development permits errors to be caught and glued with minimal modifications to your entire codebase, enhancing code security and maintainability for the longer term.
WWDC24 marks the tenth anniversary of Swift. Since its launch, Swift has empowered builders to create high-quality experiences throughout Apple’s ecosystem. Right this moment, practically 1 million apps use Swift, and it’s utilized all through Apple’s software program stack — from apps and frameworks, all the best way right down to firmware like Safe Enclave.
A decade in, Apple stays deeply dedicated to advancing Swift’s capabilities and fostering collaboration inside the developer neighborhood. Apple is increasing the supply of Swift to a broader vary of builders and programmers, with assist for added code editors that leverage the Language Server Protocol. Furthering its enlargement, an all-new GitHub group devoted to Swift will host plenty of essential initiatives for the Swift ecosystem — together with the Swift compiler, Basis, and different key libraries.
Swift Testing
The brand new Swift Testing framework presents builders expressive APIs that make it easy to jot down assessments. It’s cross-platform and straightforward to be taught, so builders can use it to jot down assessments for a wide range of platforms and domains. The framework additionally features a versatile tagging system to assist builders set up their assessments and take a look at plans. Swift Testing is designed for a lot of of Swift’s use circumstances, from apps to servers.
Sport Porting Toolkit 2
With the introduction of Sport Porting Toolkit, builders have been in a position to convey their video games to Apple gadgets sooner than ever, and gaming fans can expertise extra video games on Mac. Sport Porting Toolkit 2 takes this to the subsequent stage with a number of the most-requested capabilities from sport builders, making it even simpler to convey superior video games to Mac, in addition to iPhone and iPad. Whether or not a developer is bringing an current sport or one which’s at the moment in improvement to Apple gadgets, Sport Porting Toolkit 2 saves valuable time. Due to improved compatibility with Home windows video games, highly effective new shader debugging instruments, and updates to Xcode that allow builders unify their sport code and shaders throughout gadgets, it’s by no means been simpler to create wonderful video games throughout iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
visionOS 2
Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional continues to draw builders from all around the world who faucet into its distinctive capabilities to create new spatial experiences — all powered by visionOS, the revolutionary spatial working system that seamlessly blends digital content material with the bodily world. visionOS 2 introduces new APIs and frameworks, aiding builders with creating advanced and nuanced spatial experiences that have been by no means earlier than attainable.
New volumetric APIs give builders extra management over how 3D objects seem of their apps, and permit even probably the most advanced spatial apps to run aspect by aspect for the last word multitasking expertise. TabletopKit makes it simple for builders to construct spatial app experiences that anchor to flat surfaces, like manufacturing workstations or board and card video games. RealityKit simplifies improvement for apps that assist a number of Apple gadgets, lowering improvement time and making workflows extra environment friendly for Common apps.
Builders can extra simply create stunning and immersive environments inside their apps by means of new APIs, improved tooling, and a simplified improvement course of. It’s additionally even simpler to develop unbelievable spatial SharePlay experiences, and builders with out Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional {hardware} can now create and preview SharePlay-based apps in Simulator. visionOS 2 additionally helps HealthKit, which permits apps to privately and securely entry and share well being information.
New enterprise APIs will assist enterprises and enterprise builders supercharge their workflows in healthcare, manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, and past.
Further Platform APIs
Builders can undertake the brand new Controls API to let customers accomplish much more duties from much more locations, similar to to rapidly unlock their car or open their favourite third-party digicam proper from the Management Heart.
AccessorySetupKit permits builders to seamlessly and securely pair Bluetooth equipment by means of their app with out counting on entry to all close by Bluetooth equipment, retaining different gadgets non-public.
With updates to the Sensible Stack on Apple Watch, builders will be capable of use cues like time and date, location, get up and bedtime, and extra to make their apps present up as recommended widgets. And for the primary time ever, apps that assist Reside Actions will routinely present up on Apple Watch.
Builders additionally now have entry to a brand new watchOS double faucet API to allow them to assign the gesture to key components of their Apple Watch app expertise.
TestFlight
TestFlight helps builders accumulate invaluable beta suggestions from testers to enhance an app all through the event and launch course of. With enhancements to the TestFlight invitation and enrollment expertise, builders will be capable of have interaction testers by system and OS to obtain higher-quality suggestions for how one can enhance their apps.
TestFlight invites will embrace the beta app’s description, app class, and elective screenshots to focus on new options and content material for potential testers. New metrics assist builders consider engagement with public hyperlinks and look at invitation acceptances or declines.
App Retailer
For over 15 years, the App Retailer has made it simple for builders to distribute their apps and video games to folks all around the world and develop their companies. This 12 months, the App Retailer provides new methods for builders to get their apps found and new options for monetizing with subscriptions.
New that includes nominations let builders simply nominate their apps’ upcoming content material and enhancements for consideration to be featured on the App Retailer. Builders can submit nominations in App Retailer Join and embrace particulars similar to publish date and related international locations or areas. The skilled App Retailer editorial group critiques every submission to assist join nice apps and video games with individuals who will love them.
Customized product pages allow builders to showcase totally different content material and options which might be out there of their apps. Now, with customized product web page deep hyperlinks, builders can seamlessly direct folks from a specific customized product web page on the App Retailer to a related place inside their apps. Deep hyperlinks will also be used with Search Adverts campaigns to supply a extra constant expertise for customers, from what they see in an advert to the place they land within the app.
For subscription apps, builders can encourage former subscribers to resubscribe with new win-back presents. Eligible clients can uncover these presents throughout the App Retailer in addition to of their apps. For macOS apps, builders can present discounted or free subscriptions for a time frame with provide codes to accumulate, retain, and convey again former subscribers.
Enhancements to StoreKit views give builders new choices to prepare and current in-app purchases.
App Analytics has been expanded to assist builders get much more perception into their enterprise and their apps’ efficiency. Studies now embrace tons of of latest metrics that allow builders to search out alternatives for enchancment.
App Retailer Join
The App Retailer Join app for iOS and iPadOS options an up to date consumer interface and introduces a brand new method for builders to advertise their apps’ particular moments. Whether or not they’re launching a brand-new app or delivery an thrilling new app replace, builders can now effortlessly generate advertising property from App Retailer Hook up with share instantly onto their social channels. If an app has been featured as App of the Day, builders will obtain a push notification from App Retailer Join inviting them to create a particular advertising asset to commemorate the second.
Right this moment’s updates be part of an ever-growing abundance of instruments, applied sciences, and sources Apple makes out there for builders. For extra particulars about the important thing applied sciences and thrilling capabilities out there at this time, go to developer.apple.com/whats-new.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized private expertise with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Right this moment, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional. Apple’s six software program platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — present seamless experiences throughout all Apple gadgets and empower folks with breakthrough companies together with the App Retailer, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s greater than 150,000 staff are devoted to creating one of the best merchandise on earth and to leaving the world higher than we discovered it.
Press Contacts
Adam Dema
Apple
Apple Media Helpline
