App Store and applications: Xcode 13 becomes mandatory from April 25
Apple sent a message to developers regarding submission of applications for the App Store. Starting April 25, developers will be required to use at least Xcode 13 to compile their apps.
Xcode 13 mandatory from April 25 for developers
“As of April 25, 2022, iOS, iPadOS and watchOS apps submitted to the App Store will need to be compiled with Xcode 13, which includes SDKs for iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8”, writes Apple in its message. Xcode 13 has been available since last September and has had the right to several updates. Moreover, the 13.3 update has been available since this week following the release of iOS 15.4, iPadOS 15.4 and watchOS 8.5 in final version.
Sometimes developers don’t always use the latest version of Xcode for their own reasons. From April 25, they won’t really have a choice: they will have to use at least Xcode 13.
Apple takes advantage of its announcement to tout iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8:
Make the most of the exciting features of iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8 to deliver even more intuitive and valuable user experiences. Improve your application’s performance by redesigning your code to take advantage of Swift’s asynchronous functions. And with the latest SwiftUI updates, you can enhance your apps with new features, like improved list views, better search experiences, and support for control focus areas.
Point to emphasize: developers can very well use Xcode 13 and continue to offer support for iOS 14 and other previous operating systems. Xcode 13 may have a link with iOS 15, but the utility does not only focus on this version.