Are there any changes to UI testing?

Asked on 06/12/2025

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Yes, there have been several changes to UI testing as presented at WWDC. In the session titled "What’s new in Xcode," significant upgrades to Xcode's UI testing were highlighted. These include:

  1. Enhanced UI Automation Recording: Xcode now features a completely new code generation system for UI Automation Recording, making it easier to implement UI tests by recording interactions directly within the app. This allows for the generation of concise code for interactions and provides multiple identifier options for elements, which can be used to fine-tune how elements are identified in tests.

  2. Automation Explorer: This tool provides a full video recording of the test, allowing developers to replay tests in real-time and inspect elements post-test. It records attributes about every identifiable element, which can be inspected after the test run.

  3. XCT Hitch Metric: A new metric has been added to the Measure API in Xcode 26, which helps in catching hitches in the app during testing. This is useful for measuring the responsiveness of the UI, such as testing the scrolling animation performance.

  4. Test Plans and Configurations: Test plans now allow for more detailed configurations, including running tests in multiple languages and locales, and managing test properties like timeouts and execution order.

For more detailed information, you can refer to the session What’s new in Xcode (30:15).

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