App developers given an April 2020 deadline to build apps with iOS 13 SDK

iMessages on iPhone
iMessages on iPhone (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Developers must use the iOS 13 SDK as of April 2020.
  • No apps developed using an older SDK can be submitted at that point.
  • Apps must also support the iPhone XS Max screen or later.

Apple has updated its developer website to inform app makers that they should begin submitting apps designed for iOS 13. Developers have also been given a deadline of April 2020, at which point all apps submitted to the App Store must be built with the iOS 13 SDK.

When iOS 13 ships it will bring a raft of new features that will help developers build better apps and games for their users. Apple is keen to make sure that no developer gets left behind.

With iOS 13, your app can take advantage of Dark Mode, a dramatic new look for iPhone, Sign in with Apple, the fast, easy way to sign in to apps, and the latest advances in ARKit 3, Core ML 3, and Siri. Build your apps using Xcode 11 GM seed, test them on iOS devices running the latest GM seeds, and submit them for review.

Apple also confirmed that all new apps a must support the iPhone XS Max screen size and later once April rolls around.

Starting April 2020, all new apps and app updates will need to be built with the iOS 13 SDK and support the all-screen design of iPhone XS Max or later.

Developers have been testing their apps against iOS 13 since it was announced at WWDC in June. Many have already updated their apps with new iOS 13 features, including the ever popular Dark Mode.

Users of existing iPhones can download iOS 13 on September 19th, a day ahead of the release of iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Not long to wait now!

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.