Tim Sneath
@timsneath

Developer tools and frameworks at Apple. I aspire to build delightful products, and to make others smile.

Joined April 2007
886 Photos and videos
Xcode 27 exposes 50+ tools that agents can use via MCP to create, build, configure, test, and debug. Here's a useful reference list of what's available to agents like Claude, Antigravity, and Codex.
Xcode MCP Tools for Agents: 54 tools in 10 groups. Workspaces and Projects: list, open and close workspaces; list templates; new project; new target. Files: list, find, search, read, write, edit, move and remove files; create folder. Configuration: list targets and schemes; switch scheme; list and switch destinations; get and update build settings and file compiler flags; add entitlement; set Info.plist key. Build and Run: build; build log; check file for issues; run; get console output; stop. Previews and Debugging: render preview; run code snippet; debugger commands. Testing: list and switch test plans; list tests; run all or some tests. Devices and Simulators: start session, with or without workspace; install and run app; send taps, swipes and typing; end session. Localization: prepare; read string catalog; get string context; add translation. Crashes and Performance: top crash issues and logs; top field performance issues and logs. Documentation: search. Xcode 27.0, Sept 2026.

ALT Xcode MCP Tools for Agents: 54 tools in 10 groups. Workspaces and Projects: list, open and close workspaces; list templates; new project; new target. Files: list, find, search, read, write, edit, move and remove files; create folder. Configuration: list targets and schemes; switch scheme; list and switch destinations; get and update build settings and file compiler flags; add entitlement; set Info.plist key. Build and Run: build; build log; check file for issues; run; get console output; stop. Previews and Debugging: render preview; run code snippet; debugger commands. Testing: list and switch test plans; list tests; run all or some tests. Devices and Simulators: start session, with or without workspace; install and run app; send taps, swipes and typing; end session. Localization: prepare; read string catalog; get string context; add translation. Crashes and Performance: top crash issues and logs; top field performance issues and logs. Documentation: search. Xcode 27.0, Sept 2026.

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Tim Sneath retweeted
Ivan Tokar
@ivatokar
Sep 23
Swift 6.4 has a couple of changes that make Swift outside Apple platforms feel more deliberate. Swift Build is now the default build engine in SwiftPM, so the same build system is used across macOS, Linux and Windows. Subprocess also reached 1.0, giving Swift a stable cross-platform API for launching and interacting with processes. Neither feature is flashy, but together they remove some of the “platform-specific glue” that CLI, server-side and cross-platform Swift projects have historically needed. That is the part of Swift 6.4 I find most interesting: the tooling around the language is becoming more portable, not just the language itself. #Swift #ServerSideSwift swift.org/blog/swift-6.4-rel…

Swift 6.4 Released

Swift 6.4 is now available. Swift aims to be a great choice across the stack, from apps and servers to systems code, embedded devices, and the browser. This release deepens that support, and makes...

swift.org
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“Swift 6.4 unifies building across Linux, macOS, Windows”: nice article from @TheRegister on Swift progress. theregister.com/devops/2026/…

Swift 6.4 unifies building across Linux, macOS, Windows

Swift Build is now the default engine for the Swift Package Manager

theregister.com
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I think this might be what folk are waiting for? 😉 developer.apple.com/news/rel…

Xcode 27.1 beta (27A9269) - Releases - Apple Developer

View downloadsView release notes

developer.apple.com
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developer.apple.com/news/?id…

Get ready with the latest beta releases - Latest News - Apple Developer

The beta versions of iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2, macOS 27.2, tvOS 27.2, visionOS 27.2, and watchOS 27.2 are now available. Get your apps ready by confirming they work as expected on these releases. And...

developer.apple.com
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Well spotted, and thank you for recognizing the hard work of the team, @twostraws! JSON should be easier to manage in source control, more readable for humans, and easier for agents to work with. Exciting times for Xcode.
Paul Hudson
@twostraws
Sep 16
I don't think I ever swear on social media, but this one is worth it: holy shit! A JSON-based project format for Xcode! 🤯
Xcode now supports a JSON-based project format (.xcproj) that’s more readable, merge-friendly, and easier for coding agents to edit. Enable it in the file inspector. Projects using .xcproj also open in earlier versions of Xcode 27.

ALT Xcode now supports a JSON-based project format (.xcproj) that’s more readable, merge-friendly, and easier for coding agents to edit. Enable it in the file inspector. Projects using .xcproj also open in earlier versions of Xcode 27.

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Such an exciting week for Swift developers, with the first beta of Vapor 5: blog.vapor.codes/posts/vapor… @0xTim

Vapor 5 Beta

After 6 and a half years of Vapor 4, and a decade to the day of Vapor 1.0, we're excited to show off the next version of Vapor, with the first beta release

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All the good stuff in Swift 6.4, now available across all platforms: swift.org/blog/swift-6.4-rel…

Swift 6.4 Released

Swift 6.4 is now available. Swift aims to be a great choice across the stack, from apps and servers to systems code, embedded devices, and the browser. This release deepens that support, and makes...

swift.org
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Xcode 27 is here! Three useful tips for writing apps for Apple platforms with agents like Claude: 🧵
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2/ Xcode 27 ships 10 handwritten skills with best practices for app development and modernization. Export them to read yourself or drop into any agent with: xcrun agent skills export
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3/ Apple's developer docs are available as clean Markdown, ideal for coding agents. Add this Gist to your CLAUDE.md to teach your agent how to find them: gist.github.com/timsneath/23… (h/t @luka_bernardi).
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And this side-by-side animation only tells part of the story. You also get improved power efficiency, bridge-free debuggability, deeper platform integration, richer accessibility, direct access to the Neural Engine and GPU, idiomatic API access for on-device models, and more!
Ji Pei
@iampgzp
Sep 11
We’re rebuilding Notion natively on mobile. It’s early, but here is how it feels now! What frustrates you Notion on your phone today? I want to hear and improve!
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“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21, NRSV)”. In honor of Adriana’s father and all those for whom 9/11 is much more than a historical event.
Adriana Porter Felt
@__apf__
Sep 9
On 9/11, our families' grief belonged to the nation. Here I am as a child, standing in the cold wet field where my father was killed, as part of the nation's collective mourning. It's now your turn: honor the 25th anniversary by volunteering. 911day.org
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Native is now the future of mobile at ⁦@Shopify⁩. Why the world has changed with AI such that the trade-offs have tilted. shopify.engineering/back-to-…

Native is now the future of mobile at Shopify (2026) - Shopify

Coding agents changed what it costs to build mobile apps twice. Here’s why Shopify is moving from React Native back to Swift and Kotlin.

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What an exciting day of new products! Getting your apps ready for iPhone Duo is easy, particularly if you're using native frameworks like SwiftUI. The SDK and simulator are coming later this month; in the meantime, check out these videos to get ready: developer.apple.com/iphone-d…

Get Ready for iPhone Duo - Apple Developer

Learn how to prepare your apps for iPhone Duo.

developer.apple.com
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"People immediately experienced noticeably faster load times, smoother scrolling, and more fluid animations. The app felt more responsive and reliable, especially on older devices, where the difference was most pronounced." @Swiggy on moving to #SwiftUI: developer.apple.com/news/?id…

“The impact was the biggest surprise“: Swiggy’s transition to native pays off - Discover - Apple...

Swiggy is India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, and since 2024, it’s been powered by native tools that create seamless mobile experiences for an audience that numbers in the millions.

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I'm even older today than yesterday. But one of my team members cheered me up with a lovely digital birthday card written in Swift. Check it out! swiftfiddle.com/lkhexpwavres… (Thanks also to @k_katsumi for Swift Fiddle, which lets me share it so easily with you!)

Swift Online Playground

SwiftFiddle is an online playground for creating, sharing and embedding Swift fiddles (little Swift programs that run directly in your browser).

swiftfiddle.com
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So many fun projects are enabled with embedded Swift, the subset of Swift focused on really tiny devices. And the available feature set expands in Swift 6.4, coming soon: swift.org/blog/embedded-swif…
Examples of Swift running on various tiny hardware devices.

ALT Examples of Swift running on various tiny hardware devices.
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One moment, @ChargePointnet. Be right with you; just have to get re-baptized with a new name and update my records with various government agencies... In the meantime, it's a good chance to plug an essay by the ever-wonderful @patio11: kalzumeus.com/2010/06/17/fal…
ChargePoint app: "First name must be at least 4 characters".

ALT ChargePoint app: "First name must be at least 4 characters".

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