June 10, 2024
PRESS RELEASE
Apple empowers builders and fuels innovation with new instruments and assets
Enhancements to Xcode and Swift, mixed with new APIs, provide builders expanded capabilities for creating excessive‑high quality apps
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple as we speak unveiled a collection of revolutionary new instruments and assets 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 growth 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 in all places with the cutting-edge applied sciences and assets to construct unimaginable apps,” mentioned Susan Prescott, Apple’s vp 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 customary 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 growth kits (SDKs) and Swift language options, so builders will at all times 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 robust 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 counsel the code builders want. Code completion is powered completely by Apple silicon and machine studying enhancements in macOS Sequoia, and runs regionally on a developer’s machine — which means that code is saved utterly personal, and builders can obtain related strategies 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 circumstances from the second they start constructing them. For instance, builders can now localize and check 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 frequently 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 challenge at compile time. This development permits errors to be caught and stuck with minimal modifications to your complete codebase, enhancing code security and maintainability for the long run.
WWDC24 marks the tenth anniversary of Swift. Since its launch, Swift has empowered builders to create high-quality experiences throughout Apple’s ecosystem. Immediately, 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 throughout the developer group. Apple is increasing the provision of Swift to a broader vary of builders and programmers, with assist for extra code editors that leverage the Language Server Protocol. Furthering its growth, an all-new GitHub group devoted to Swift will host plenty of vital initiatives for the Swift ecosystem — together with the Swift compiler, Basis, and different key libraries.
Swift Testing
The brand new Swift Testing framework provides builders expressive APIs that make it easy to jot down exams. It’s cross-platform and straightforward to be taught, so builders can use it to jot down exams for a wide range of platforms and domains. The framework additionally features a versatile tagging system to assist builders set up their exams and check plans. Swift Testing is designed for a lot of of Swift’s use circumstances, from apps to servers.
Recreation Porting Toolkit 2
With the introduction of Recreation Porting Toolkit, builders have been capable of carry their video games to Apple gadgets sooner than ever, and gaming fans can expertise extra video games on Mac. Recreation Porting Toolkit 2 takes this to the subsequent stage with a number of the most-requested capabilities from recreation builders, making it even simpler to carry superior video games to Mac, in addition to iPhone and iPad. Whether or not a developer is bringing an current recreation or one which’s at present in growth to Apple gadgets, Recreation Porting Toolkit 2 saves valuable time. Because of improved compatibility with Home windows video games, highly effective new shader debugging instruments, and updates to Xcode that allow builders unify their recreation 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 everywhere in 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, helping builders with creating advanced and nuanced spatial experiences that had been by no means earlier than potential.
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 final 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 growth for apps that assist a number of Apple gadgets, reducing growth time and making workflows extra environment friendly for Common apps.
Builders can extra simply create lovely and immersive environments inside their apps via new APIs, improved tooling, and a simplified growth course of. It’s additionally even simpler to develop unimaginable 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, corresponding to to rapidly unlock their automobile or open their favourite third-party digital camera proper from the Management Middle.
AccessorySetupKit permits builders to seamlessly and securely pair Bluetooth equipment via their app with out counting on entry to all close by Bluetooth equipment, conserving different gadgets personal.
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 advised widgets. And for the primary time ever, apps that assist Dwell Actions will mechanically 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 acquire priceless 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 interact testers by machine 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 think about 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 individuals everywhere in the world and develop their companies. This yr, 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 corresponding to publish date and related international locations or areas. The professional App Retailer editorial staff evaluations 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 can be obtainable of their apps. Now, with customized product web page deep hyperlinks, builders can seamlessly direct individuals from a selected 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 offer 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 provides. Eligible prospects can uncover these provides 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 amass, 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 lots 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 person interface and introduces a brand new means 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 and marketing property from App Retailer Connect with share immediately 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 and marketing asset to commemorate the second.
Immediately’s updates be part of an ever-growing abundance of instruments, applied sciences, and assets Apple makes obtainable for builders. For extra particulars about the important thing applied sciences and thrilling capabilities obtainable as we speak, go to developer.apple.com/whats-new.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized private expertise with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Immediately, 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 individuals 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
