Apple has officially opened App Store submissions for apps and games built for its upcoming generation of operating systems, giving developers the green light to prepare their software for the public launch of iOS 27 and the rest of Apple’s 2026 platform updates.

In a September 9 developer announcement, Apple said developers can now submit apps and games for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27. The move comes just days before the new operating systems are scheduled to become available to customers worldwide.

Developers can use the Xcode 27 Release Candidate to build against the latest SDKs, test their apps through TestFlight, and submit builds to the App Store for review. Apple is also encouraging developers to take advantage of new platform technologies, including Apple Intelligence, the Foundation Models framework, updated designs, and new App Store capabilities.

iOS 27 and the next generation of Apple platforms

The opening of App Store submissions marks one of the final steps before Apple releases its new software lineup to consumers. Apple says iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, visionOS 27, and watchOS 27 will soon be available worldwide. The company’s current release schedule lists September 14 as the availability date for iOS 27 and macOS 27.

For developers, that means the transition from beta testing to production software is now well underway. Apps can be tested with TestFlight using the release-candidate versions of Apple’s development tools before being submitted for App Review.

Apple’s latest developer releases include Xcode 27 RC, iOS 27.0 RC, iPadOS 27.0 RC, macOS 27.0 RC, tvOS 27.0 RC, visionOS 27.0 RC, and watchOS 27.0 RC, all released on September 9.

The new operating systems bring more than cosmetic changes. Developers can build around Apple’s latest Apple Intelligence capabilities, the Foundation Models framework, updated platform designs, and other APIs and technologies introduced during the company’s software development cycle.

macOS 27 marks an important transition for Intel Macs

One of the biggest changes for Mac developers is the move to Apple silicon.

Apple says macOS 26 is the final release supporting Intel Mac computers and that macOS 27 will be Apple silicon only. Developers who want their apps to target Apple silicon Macs exclusively can set their Xcode build architecture to arm64, rebuild their software, and resubmit it.

The shift represents the next major stage of Apple’s transition away from Intel. Apple introduced its first Apple silicon Macs in 2020, and the company has spent the following years encouraging developers to move their applications to native Apple silicon architectures.

Apple is also continuing its transition away from Rosetta, the translation technology that allows Intel-based Mac applications to run on Apple silicon. The company said earlier this month that macOS 27 is part of the final phase of that transition, while noting that Rosetta support for certain older, unmaintained gaming titles that rely on Intel-based frameworks will continue.

For developers that still maintain Intel-compatible Mac applications, the message is increasingly clear: native Apple silicon support is no longer something that can simply be left for later.

Developers also need to prepare for new App Store requirements

Apple is making several other changes alongside the new operating systems.

Developers submitting apps and games now need to pay attention to updated age-rating questions, including a new requirement to indicate whether an app or game contains social media capabilities. Apple says its new Time Allowances system gives parents more flexibility in managing how much time children spend in categories such as Entertainment, Games, and Social Media.

Apple is also updating App Store presentation tools. Developers can prepare new product page headers and search-result assets, along with screenshots, app previews, and In-App Events. Apple says a new product page preview tool will also be coming to App Store Connect, allowing developers to see how their pages will appear before publication.

There is also a longer-term deadline developers need to keep in mind.

Starting in April 2027, apps and games uploaded to App Store Connect will have to meet Apple’s new minimum SDK requirements. iOS and iPadOS apps will need to be built with the iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 SDKs or later, while tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS apps will similarly need to use their respective 27-series SDKs or newer.

That gives developers several months to update older projects, but the direction is unmistakable: Apple’s 2026 operating systems are becoming the new baseline for software distributed through its platforms.

With submissions now open, the remaining step is the public rollout. For iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro users, the wait for Apple’s next major software generation is almost over. For developers, the work of making sure their apps are ready for that transition has already begun.