Apple Adds Agentic Coding to Xcode with Anthropic and OpenAI Integration

Apple has introduced agentic coding to its Xcode development environment with the release of Xcode 26.3. The update integrates AI agents such as Anthropic’s Claude Agent and OpenAI’s Codex, allowing them to autonomously perform coding tasks, including writing, building, and testing applications directly within Xcode.

The new functionality expands on earlier AI-assisted features by giving agents access to more of Xcode’s internal tools. Using natural language commands, developers can instruct an agent to add features, modify code, or run tests. The agents can analyze project structures, consult Apple’s documentation, and verify results through builds and visual checks. Developers can track each step in a transcript view and revert changes at any time through automatic checkpoints.

To enable efficient operation, Apple optimized token usage and tool calls for the integrated agents. The system uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that connects AI models with external tools. This means any MCP-compatible agent can interact with Xcode for project management, file edits, previews, and documentation access.

The Xcode 26.3 release candidate is available now to registered developers, with a general release expected soon. Apple plans to host a live workshop demonstrating how to use the new agentic coding features later this week.