Apple sets April 28 deadline for new App Store SDK requirements across all platforms

Apple has announced an update to its App Store submission rules that will raise the minimum Software Development Kit (SDK) requirements for all major platforms later this spring. Beginning April 28, 2026, developers submitting apps or games to App Store Connect will be required to use newer SDK versions aligned with Apple’s latest operating systems.

Under the updated policy, apps for iOS and iPadOS must be built with the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 SDKs or later, while submissions for tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS must use their respective 26-generation SDKs. In practical terms, this also means developers will need to build and submit apps using Xcode 26 or newer.

Apple regularly ties App Store submission requirements to its most recent SDKs as part of its platform maintenance strategy. Each major OS release introduces updated APIs, frameworks, and system-level changes, and Apple uses minimum SDK rules to ensure newly submitted apps are compatible with current platform standards and capabilities.

The change affects how apps are built, not which operating system versions they can run on. Developers will still be able to support older OS versions if they choose, as runtime compatibility remains under developer control. The requirement applies solely to the SDK used at build time.

The update also does not automatically enforce visual or design changes introduced in newer SDKs. For example, apps built with the iOS 26 SDK may adopt Apple’s newer default UI styling for native components, but developers can opt out through explicit configuration.

Apple shared the announcement through its Developer News portal, giving teams just under three months to update their toolchains and workflows ahead of the April deadline.