Apple announced a new requirement on Tuesday that requires developers to use Xcode 14.1 or later to develop their apps when submitting them to the App Store to ensure they are compatible with iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, tvOS 16, and macOS Ventura.
The new rules for Xcode, the tool developers use to create apps for Apple platforms including iOS and macOS, will go into effect on April 25, 2023, when the App Store will no longer accept apps developed with older versions of Xcode, and will apply to new submissions and updates to apps already on shelves. Apple also “strongly recommends” that developers update their apps to take advantage of the latest features available on systems like iOS 16 and iPadOS 16.
On its developer website, Apple says:
Beginning April 25, 2023, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS apps submitted to the App Store must be developed using Xcode 14.1 or later. The latest version of Xcode 14 includes the latest SDKs for iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and watchOS 9 and is available for free download from the Mac App Store.
When developing your app, we highly recommend that you take advantage of the latest features offered by iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and watchOS 9.iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 provide developers with many new APIs, such as Live Activities on iPhone, App Intents, Metal 3, and an improved iPad app interface. watchOS 9, on the other hand, provides richer and more sophisticated features for dials, support for VoIP calls, and more.
It’s worth noting that Xcode 14 is free to download from the Mac App Store and requires a Mac running macOS Monterey 12.5 or later, or you can download the latest version of Xcode from Apple’s developer site.
