how to build app

Generated on 1/25/2025

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To build an app using Apple's platforms, you can leverage several tools and frameworks introduced at WWDC. Here are some key points to consider:

Swift and SwiftUI: These are the primary languages and frameworks for building apps across Apple's platforms, including iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. SwiftUI allows you to create user interfaces with a declarative syntax, making it easier to build and maintain your app's UI.
Xcode: This is the integrated development environment (IDE) for building apps on Apple platforms. It provides tools for coding, testing, and debugging your app. Xcode also includes features like Swiftassist, which can help with coding tasks and experimenting with new APIs. You can learn more about Xcode essentials in the session Xcode essentials.
Swiftassist: Introduced in the Platforms State of the Union, Swiftassist is a companion tool in Xcode that helps with coding tasks, answering questions, and prototyping. It uses a powerful model that runs in the cloud to assist developers in writing Swift code. You can see more about Swiftassist in the session Platforms State of the Union.
App Intents: This framework allows you to bring your app's core features to users through shortcuts, widgets, and other integrations. It helps in creating a seamless user experience by making your app's features easily accessible. For more details, check the session Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents.
VisionOS: If you're interested in building apps for Apple's Vision Pro, you can use VisionOS to create immersive experiences. The session Design great visionOS apps provides insights into designing apps for this platform.

By utilizing these tools and frameworks, you can build robust and innovative apps for Apple's ecosystem.

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Support semantic search with Core Spotlight

Learn how to provide semantic search results in your app using Core Spotlight. Understand how to make your app’s content available in the user’s private, on-device index so people can search for items using natural language. We’ll also share how to optimize your app’s performance by scheduling indexing activities. To get the most out of this session, we recommend first checking out Core Spotlight documentation on the Apple Developer website.

Extend your Xcode Cloud workflows

Discover how Xcode Cloud can adapt to your development needs. We’ll show you how to streamline your workflows, automate testing and distribution with start conditions, custom aliases, custom scripts, webhooks, and the App Store Connect API.

Migrate your TVML app to SwiftUI

SwiftUI helps you build great apps on all Apple platforms and is the preferred toolkit for bringing your content into the living room with tvOS 18. Learn how to use SwiftUI to create familiar layouts and controls from TVMLKit, and get tips and best practices.

What’s new in AppKit

Discover the latest advances in Mac app development. Get an overview of the new features in macOS Sequoia, and how to adopt them in your app. Explore new ways to integrate your existing code with SwiftUI. Learn about the improvements made to numerous AppKit controls, like toolbars, menus, text input, and more.

Bring your app’s core features to users with App Intents

Learn the principles of the App Intents framework, like intents, entities, and queries, and how you can harness them to expose your app’s most important functionality right where people need it most. Find out how to build deep integration between your app and the many system features built on top of App Intents, including Siri, controls and widgets, Apple Pencil, Shortcuts, the Action button, and more. Get tips on how to build your App Intents integrations efficiently to create the best experiences in every surface while still sharing code and core functionality.

Design App Intents for system experiences

App Intents power system experiences in controls, Spotlight, Siri, and more. Find out how to identify the functionality that’s best for App Intents, and how to use parameters to make these intents flexible. Learn how to use App Intents to allow people to take action outside your app, and see examples of when to navigate into your app to show contextual information.

What’s new in App Store Connect

Explore new features for discovery, testing, and marketing. Find out how to nominate your apps for featuring on the App Store, share exciting moments (like a version launch) with marketing assets generated for you, deep link to specific content in your app from custom product pages, use the latest enhancements to TestFlight, and more.

Design great visionOS apps

Find out how to create compelling spatial computing apps by embracing immersion, designing for eyes and hands, and taking advantage of depth, scale, and space. We’ll share several examples of great visionOS apps and explore how their designers approached creating new experiences for the platform.

Xcode essentials

Edit, debug, commit, repeat. Explore the suite of tools in Xcode that help you iterate quickly when developing apps. Discover tips and tricks to help optimize and boost your development workflow.

Explore machine learning on Apple platforms

Get started with an overview of machine learning frameworks on Apple platforms. Whether you’re implementing your first ML model, or an ML expert, we’ll offer guidance to help you select the right framework for your app’s needs.

Platforms State of the Union

Discover the newest advancements on Apple platforms.

Add personality to your app through UX writing

Every app has a personality that comes across in what you say — and how you say it. Learn how to define your app’s voice and modulate your tone for every situation, from celebratory notifications to error messages. We’ll help you get specific about your app’s purpose and audience and practice writing in different tones.