Starting April 28, 2026, Apple will reject any app or update submitted to App Store Connect unless it is built with the iOS 26 SDK. If you have not migrated yet, this article walks you through exactly what changed, what breaks, and what you need to do before you submit your next build.
What the Requirement Actually Means
Apple has updated its minimum SDK policy. From tomorrow onward, every app and game uploaded to App Store Connect must meet these requirements:
- iOS and iPadOS apps must be built with the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 SDK or later
- tvOS apps must use the tvOS 26 SDK or later
- visionOS apps must use the visionOS 26 SDK or later
- watchOS apps must use the watchOS 26 SDK or later (64-bit support is also now required)
In practice, this means you must build using Xcode 26 or later. The current latest SDK is version 26.2, so that is what you should be targeting.
One thing to clarify upfront: this requirement applies to the SDK you build with, not the iOS version your users must run. You can still set your deployment target to iOS 16 or 17. Your existing users on older iOS versions are not affected.
What Changes When You Build With the iOS 26 SDK
1. Liquid Glass UI Is Applied by Default
This is the change that will visually affect most apps immediately.
Liquid Glass is Apple's new design language — it applies translucent, fluid materials to native UI components. When you build with the iOS 26 SDK, standard UIKit and SwiftUI components like navigation bars, tab bars, buttons, and sheets will automatically pick up this new look on devices running iOS 26.
You do not need to write a single line of code for this to happen. It applies automatically.
What this means for you:
- Run your app on an iOS 26 device or simulator after rebuilding
- Check every screen for layout regressions or contrast issues
- Pay close attention to custom UI elements — they will not automatically adopt Liquid Glass and may look inconsistent next to system components
If you want to opt out of the Liquid Glass appearance for specific components, you can do so explicitly. But be aware that Apple's design direction is clearly moving toward this system, and opting out across your entire app may increasingly feel out of place over time.
Basic example of applying Liquid Glass manually in SwiftUI:
import SwiftUI
struct CardView: View {
var body: some View {
VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 12) {
Text("Account Summary")
.font(.headline)
Text("Balance: $4,200.00")
.font(.body)
.foregroundStyle(.secondary)
}
.padding()
.background(.regularMaterial) // This picks up the Liquid Glass material
.clipShape(RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 16))
}
}
Use .regularMaterial, .thickMaterial, or .ultraThinMaterial to match the system's visual depth.
2. Foundation Models Framework Is Now Available
iOS 26 introduces the Foundation Models framework, which lets you run on-device language models without sending any data to a server. This is separate from Core ML — it is designed for natural language tasks like summarization, classification, tagging, and contextual responses.
You do not have to use it immediately, but building with the iOS 26 SDK means you now have access to it.
A simple example — summarizing user notes on-device:
import FoundationModels
func summarize(note: String) async throws -> String {
let model = LanguageModel.default
let prompt = "Summarize this note in one sentence: \(note)"
let response = try await model.generate(prompt: prompt)
return response.text
}
On-device processing means no network call, no latency spike, and no privacy concern about user data leaving the device.
3. Deprecated APIs Will Block Compilation
This is the most common reason apps fail to build with a new SDK. Frameworks that Apple has been warning about for years — like UIWebView, legacy Core Data stacks, and older networking patterns — may now cause build failures.
What to do:
Open your project in Xcode 26 and do a clean build. Read every warning and error carefully. The compiler will tell you exactly where deprecated usage lives.
Run this in Terminal to quickly scan for common deprecated patterns:
grep -rn "UIWebView\|NSURLConnection\|ABAddressBook" ./YourProject/
Replace any matches with their modern equivalents:
-
UIWebView->WKWebView -
NSURLConnection->URLSession -
ABAddressBook->Contactsframework
4. Third-Party SDKs May Not Be Ready
Your own code might be fine, but analytics libraries, ad networks, crash reporters, and feature flag SDKs may not have updated yet.
Check your dependencies before submitting:
# If you use CocoaPods
pod outdated
# If you use Swift Package Manager, check in Xcode:
# File > Packages > Update to Latest Package Versions
If a third-party SDK is not compatible with the iOS 26 SDK, you have three options:
- Wait for the vendor to release an update
- Remove the SDK temporarily to unblock your submission
- Contact the vendor directly — most are aware and have updates in progress
5. Age Rating Questionnaire Update
Apple updated its age rating questions in App Store Connect. If you have not already done this, update the questionnaire for all your apps immediately. Stale ratings can cause submission issues independently of the SDK requirement.
Step-by-Step Migration Checklist
Work through these in order. Do not skip the simulator testing step.
Step 1 — Install Xcode 26
Download Xcode 26 from the Mac App Store or the Apple Developer portal. Ensure your Mac is running macOS Tahoe 26.2 or later, as Xcode 26 requires it.
Step 2 — Update your project settings
Open your project in Xcode 26. Set the build SDK to iOS 26. Do not change your deployment target unless you specifically want to drop support for older iOS versions.
Step 3 — Do a clean build
Product > Clean Build Folder (Shift + Command + K)
Product > Build (Command + B)
Read every warning. Treat deprecation warnings as tasks, not noise.
Step 4 — Run on an iOS 26 simulator
Go through every screen in your app. Look for:
- Layout issues in navigation bars or tab bars due to Liquid Glass materials
- Text readability problems against translucent backgrounds
- Custom UI components that look visually disconnected from system components
Step 5 — Run on a physical iOS 26 device
Simulators do not fully replicate Metal rendering or ProMotion behavior. Test on a real device, especially if your app has custom animations or graphics-heavy screens.
Step 6 — Update or remove incompatible third-party SDKs
Run pod outdated or check Swift Package Manager for updates. Flag anything that does not have an iOS 26-compatible release.
Step 7 — Archive and validate before submitting
Use Xcode's Organizer to archive your build and run Validate App before uploading. This catches many issues before Apple's review team does.
Product > Archive
Window > Organizer > Distribute App > Validate App
Step 8 — Submit via TestFlight first
Upload to TestFlight before submitting for App Store review. This gives you a buffer to catch any runtime issues that do not show up in local testing.
The Bigger Picture
This is Apple's standard annual SDK bump, but iOS 26 is a larger change than most years. Liquid Glass is a system-wide visual overhaul. Foundation Models is a new category of capability. The unified versioning across all Apple platforms (iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS all sharing the "26" designation) signals Apple pushing harder on cross-platform consistency.
Developers who migrate now and begin adopting these APIs incrementally will be in a much stronger position when WWDC 2026 announcements add another layer of requirements to keep up with.
The deadline is tomorrow. The steps above are everything you need. Build with Xcode 26, test on iOS 26, fix what breaks, and submit.
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