Apple Empowers Developers with New Tools and Technologies: Unleashing Creativity, Innovation, and Design Potential

At WWDC 2025, Apple made waves in the developer community. From opening access to on-device Apple Intelligence models, major advancements in Xcode, to a brand-new design language spanning all platforms—Apple is once again empowering developers to build apps that are beautiful, smart, and engaging with greater ease, speed, and confidence than ever before.

In Cupertino, California, the tech world once again turned its eyes to Apple’s annual event. Today, Apple unveiled a suite of new tools and technologies designed specifically for developers—tools that help them create more beautiful, intelligent, and engaging apps within Apple’s ecosystem. But this isn’t just about tools—it’s a transformation in how apps are designed and developed.

From iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, to watchOS 26 and tvOS 26, a new software design language places content at center stage, delivering a more expressive and delightful experience, while preserving the intuitive interactions users are familiar with. Behind it all is Apple’s push to provide developers with more powerful capabilities than ever.

Liquid Glass: A Fluid Revolution in Design

Imagine an app interface that flows like water and shines like glass. Apple introduced a new design language called Liquid Glass—a graceful answer to that vision.

This design philosophy offers developers a way to make their apps more expressive while retaining familiarity for users. Liquid Glass is a software-based material that fuses the optical qualities of glass with the motion of fluid. Everything from buttons and toggles to sliders, tab bars, and sidebars will gain this new material treatment, delivering an unprecedented visual experience.

Better yet, native frameworks like SwiftUI are already set up for developers to easily adopt this design. This unified design language ensures consistent cross-platform experiences—fluid, content-first interactions across all Apple devices.

Icon Composer: Make Your App Icon Unforgettable

They say first impressions matter. In the vast App Store, a standout icon can make all the difference. Apple’s new Icon Composer app is designed to do just that.

This powerful tool allows developers and designers to create visually captivating icons that enhance brand identity. Developers can label layers for different rendering modes, apply blur, tweak opacity, test highlight effects, and preview their icon under different tints—all to craft the perfect icon that pops off the user’s Home Screen.

Foundation Models Framework: On-Device AI for Everyone

Apple Intelligence took center stage at WWDC, and the Foundation Models Framework is the key that puts this intelligence in developers’ hands. With this framework, developers can harness the power of Apple Intelligence to deliver smarter, offline-capable, and privacy-first experiences—with zero AI inference cost.

Natively supporting Swift, developers can access Apple Intelligence models in just three lines of code. Guided generation, tool invocation, and more are built-in—making it easier than ever to integrate generative AI into apps.

The team behind Day One, the popular journaling app by Automattic, is already using the framework. Paul Mayne, head of Day One, shared: “The Foundation Model Framework has made us rethink what journaling can be. Now, we can combine intelligence and privacy in a deeply respectful way for users.”

Xcode 26: Your Smart Coding Companion

Xcode 26 is the smartest it’s ever been. It introduces intelligent features that help turn ideas into code faster than ever.

Developers can now connect to large language models directly in the IDE to generate code, write tests, create documentation, iterate on designs, and fix bugs. Xcode now includes built-in ChatGPT support, usable without creating an account. Developers can also use API keys from other providers or run models locally on Apple silicon Macs—choosing the best option for their needs.

The new Coding Tools feature keeps developers in the flow by suggesting actions—like generating previews, creating playgrounds, or fixing issues—right where they’re working. Commands can even be issued inline for specific tasks.

Xcode 26 also introduces a redesigned navigation experience, improved localization directories, and enhanced voice control—allowing full Swift coding and interface navigation via voice.

Visual Intelligence in App Intents

App Intents enable deep integration with Siri, Spotlight, widgets, and more. Now, Visual Intelligence enhances App Intents further.

Apps can now contribute visual search results that link users directly to in-app content. For example, Etsy is using this feature to enhance discovery within its iOS app, letting users find interesting products more intuitively.

Rafe Colburn, CTO of Etsy, said: “At Etsy, our mission is to connect consumers with creative entrepreneurs offering extraordinary items. Being able to meet those needs directly through visual intelligence on iPhone is a meaningful leap forward.”

Swift 6.2 and Containerization Framework: Performance and Flexibility

Swift 6.2 introduces new features to boost performance, concurrency, and interoperability with C++, Java, JavaScript, and more. Even more exciting: Swift 6.2 now supports WebAssembly thanks to contributions from the open-source community.

The new Containerization Framework lets developers create, download, or run Linux container images directly on a Mac. Built on open-source foundations and optimized for Apple silicon, it provides secure isolation between containers and unprecedented development flexibility.

Game Development Upgrades

Game developers were not left out—this release is packed with exciting updates:

• Game Porting Toolkit 3: Updated tools to assess and analyze game performance. Developers can now customize the Metal Performance HUD for real-time insights and guidance right on screen.
• Metal 4: Built for Apple silicon, it lays the foundation for next-gen games that combine advanced graphics with machine learning. Developers can now run inference networks directly in shaders for ultra-realistic visuals.
• Apple Games App: A new one-stop destination for players to access all their games and friends across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
• Game Overlay: Integrates Game Center features directly into games, enhancing in-game social interaction.

Commitment to Child Safety and User Privacy

User safety and privacy have always been Apple’s top priority. This update includes tools to protect children online:

• Declared Age Range API: Enables developers to offer age-appropriate content without collecting exact birthdates or sensitive information.
• Accessibility Nutrition Labels: Now on App Store product pages, these labels help users understand what accessibility features an app supports—like VoiceOver, Voice Control, and more—before downloading.

App Store Connect Enhancements

The App Store Connect app on iOS and iPadOS has been updated. Developers can now view TestFlight screenshots and crash reports. The App Store Connect API supports these enhancements, and new webhook support enables real-time updates.

These exciting features are now available for testing through the Apple Developer Program. Public betas will roll out next month via the Apple Beta Software Program. Apple has once again demonstrated its commitment to equipping developers with the best tools available—fueling a wave of AI- and design-driven innovation across the app ecosystem.