Apple has announced major updates to its AI development tools, introducing new capabilities for the Foundation Models framework and expanding Xcode’s agentic coding features. The changes were unveiled alongside iOS 27 and Apple’s latest developer technologies, giving app makers more ways to build intelligent experiences across Apple’s platforms.
Foundation Models Framework Gets Smarter
One of the biggest updates is support for image input in the Foundation Models framework. Developers can now send images alongside text prompts to Apple’s on-device AI models, allowing apps to understand and process visual content more effectively. This opens the door to richer AI-powered features such as image analysis, content recommendations, and visual search experiences.
Apple also introduced custom skills and server-side model execution, giving developers more flexibility when building AI features. In addition, the company unveiled a new Core AI framework designed to support next-generation intelligent applications.
These enhancements build on the Foundation Models framework that already provides access to Apple’s on-device large language models while maintaining privacy and local processing whenever possible.
Xcode Pushes Further Into Agentic Coding
Apple continues to invest heavily in AI-assisted development. Xcode’s coding assistant can now help with app localization, interact directly with simulated devices, and support additional capabilities through custom skills. Developers will also find it easier to resize and interact with app previews during development.
The announcement follows Apple’s broader push into agentic coding, where AI agents can assist with coding, testing, documentation lookup, and other development tasks directly inside Xcode.
Expanded Siri and App Intents Integration
Apple also highlighted improvements to App Intents, making it easier for third-party apps to work with Siri. Developers can expose app actions that users can trigger through natural language requests, allowing Siri to perform tasks inside supported apps. Apple cited examples such as messaging and communication apps that can execute actions on behalf of users through Siri.
With these updates, Apple is positioning its developer tools around AI-powered workflows, helping developers build smarter apps while taking advantage of on-device intelligence, privacy-focused processing, and deeper Siri integration.
