Recently, Apple made an announcement stating that it will revise the minimum SDK requirements for iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS apps intended for submission to the App Store. These new requirements are set to come into force on April 28, 2026.

From that date onwards, apps and games uploaded to App Store Connect must be developed using the 26 SDK or a later version that corresponds to the respective system. Developers will be mandated to employ Xcode 26 or a more recent version for the development process.

Typically, Apple rolls out the corresponding SDKs concurrently with the launch of new system versions and subsequently updates them in tandem with system updates. The purpose of this update is to guarantee that apps stay in sync with system updates. It's important to note that this doesn't imply that apps will automatically necessitate user devices to be running iOS 26 or a higher version. Instead, it solely pertains to the SDK version utilized during the app-building phase.