Whats new in Xcode 16

Xcode 16 introduces several new features and improvements across various aspects of app development. Here are some of the key updates:

1. Code Completion:

   • Xcode 16 features a new code completion engine that provides more thorough suggestions. This engine is powered by an on-device coding model specifically trained for Swift and Apple SDKs, utilizing the surrounding code context to enhance suggestions. This feature is available when running Xcode 16 on macOS Sequoia (What’s new in Xcode 16).

2. Swift 6:

   • Swift 6 introduces a new language mode that provides concurrency safety guarantees, turning data races into compile-time issues. This helps improve the correctness and safety of your code (What’s new in Xcode 16).

3. Previews:

   • Xcode 16 has improved previews with a new dynamic linking architecture that uses the same build artifacts for previews and when you build and run, avoiding the need to rebuild your project when switching between the two. This results in a smoother and more productive workflow (Platforms State of the Union).

4. Builds:

   • Xcode 16 supercharges builds with explicit modules, providing improved parallelism, better diagnostics, and faster debugging without changing a single line of code. For C and Objective-C, explicit modules are on by default, while for Swift, you need to opt-in (What’s new in Xcode 16).

5. Swiftassist:

   • Swiftassist is a new feature that acts as a companion for all your coding tasks. It can answer coding questions, help with tasks like experimenting with new APIs, and runs in the cloud, ensuring your code remains private (Platforms State of the Union).

6. Debugging and Performance:

   • Xcode 16 introduces a single view of your backtraces showing relevant code from all stack frames together, a flame graph of your profiling data in Instruments, and enhancements to localization catalogs (Platforms State of the Union).

7. Instruments:

   • The new flame graph in Instruments provides a visual way of seeing your call stacks, helping you find performance issues more effectively (What’s new in Xcode 16).

For a detailed overview, you can watch the full session on What’s new in Xcode 16.