You have 27 days. Starting April 28, every app and game uploaded to App Store Connect must be built with the iOS 26 SDK using Xcode 26. No exceptions, no extensions.
If you haven't started preparing, now is the time. Not because the build requirement itself is hard — it's the side effects that'll catch you off guard.
the SDK requirement is straightforward#
This is Apple's annual SDK bump. It happens every year. You update Xcode, rebuild, fix whatever breaks, and submit. The requirement only applies to new submissions and updates — existing apps on the store won't be pulled. And building with the iOS 26 SDK doesn't mean your app suddenly requires iOS 26 to run. Your deployment target is still your choice.
The same deadline applies across the board: iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and watchOS 26 (which now also requires 64-bit support).
liquid glass is the real story#
Here's what most developers aren't talking about enough: by default, apps built with the iOS 26 SDK apply Apple's new Liquid Glass design language to all native UI components. Automatically. Unless you explicitly opt out.
That means if you rebuild your app with Xcode 26 and submit — which you have to do after April 28 — your navigation bars, tab bars, toolbars, and sheets will look different. Not broken, but different. The translucent, glassy aesthetic is a significant visual shift, and if your app has custom styling layered on top of UIKit components, you might get some jarring mismatches.
This isn't a "fix it later" situation. Your users will notice the visual change the moment they update. If your app suddenly looks half-Liquid-Glass and half-custom, it reads as unfinished.
what to do this week#
Audit your UI. Install the Xcode 26 beta if you haven't already. Build your app and run it on a simulator. Walk through every screen. Look for places where your custom colors, shadows, or corner radii clash with the new Liquid Glass components.
Decide: adopt or override. Apple provides ways to opt out of the automatic Liquid Glass styling on a per-component basis. But honestly? For most apps, leaning into the new look is the right call. Users will expect it, and apps that feel native always get better ratings.
Update your screenshots. This one's easy to forget. If your App Store screenshots show the old UI and your app now has Liquid Glass elements, the store listing will look outdated on day one. Regenerate them after you've settled on your final UI.
Test your submission pipeline. An SDK bump is a good time to make sure your entire build-and-submit workflow still works. If you're using Stora, this is particularly painless — point it at your new Xcode 26 build, and it handles the screenshot generation, compliance checks, and submission in one pass. No need to manually update dozens of localized screenshots because your nav bar changed color.
don't wait until April 27#
Every year, developers procrastinate on the SDK deadline and then flood the review queue in the last 48 hours. Review times spike, rejections pile up because of rushed builds, and apps miss their update windows.
The smart move is boring: update Xcode this week, build and audit, fix what needs fixing, and submit your update with room to spare. Twenty-seven days sounds like a lot. It isn't.