Khaberni - Apple announced to developers an upcoming update to the minimum Software Development Kit (SDK) requirements for iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS systems.
Apple posted a new announcement on its Developer News Portal, informing developers that, starting April 28, 2026, all apps submitted to the App Store must comply with the new minimum Apple SDK requirements.
In practical terms, this means developers will need to build their apps using Xcode 26 or later versions.
When Apple releases a major operating system version, such as iOS 26, it also releases the corresponding Software Development Kit (SDK) for iOS 26, which includes updated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), frameworks, and resources designed to work on the new system.
As Apple issues minor updates, such as iOS 26.1 and iOS 26.2 etc., it also periodically updates the system's Software Development Kits (SDKs). Currently, the latest software development kit for iOS is version 26.2, and the latest software development kit for iPadOS is version 26.2, and so on.
This announcement means that starting from April 28, developers will not be able to submit apps to the App Store unless they meet these new minimum requirements, which is Apple's way of ensuring that the apps available on the App Store are up to date in terms of internal features and user features.
However, this does not mean that apps will automatically require iOS 26 or newer to operate. This decision is still up to the developer. This change only affects the SDK version used in building applications.
By default, apps built using the iOS 26 software development kit adopt a "Liquid Glass" look for native user interface components, unless the developer explicitly takes steps to prevent this.
