At WWDC25 we launched a new type of Lab event for the developer community - Group Labs. A Group Lab is a panel Q&A designed for a large audience of developers. Group Labs are a unique opportunity for the community to submit questions directly to a panel of Apple engineers and designers. Here are the highlights from the WWDC25 Group Lab for Machine Learning and AI Frameworks. What are you most excited about in the Foundation Models framework? The Foundation Models framework provides access to an on-device Large Language Model (LLM), enabling entirely on-device processing for intelligent features. This allows you to build features such as personalized search suggestions and dynamic NPC generation in games. The combination of guided generation and streaming capabilities is particularly exciting for creating delightful animations and features with reliable output. The seamless integration with SwiftUI and the new design material Liquid Glass is also a major advantage. When should I still bring my own LLM via CoreML? It's generally recommended to first explore Apple's built-in system models and APIs, including the Foundation Models framework, as they are highly optimized for Apple devices and cover a wide range of use cases. However, Core ML is still valuable if you need more control or choice over the specific model being deployed, such as customizing existing system models or augmenting prompts. Core ML provides the tools to get these models on-device, but you are responsible for model distribution and updates. Should I migrate PyTorch code to MLX? MLX is an open-source, general-purpose machine learning framework designed for Apple Silicon from the ground up. It offers a familiar API, similar to PyTorch, and supports C, C++, Python, and Swift. MLX emphasizes unified memory, a key feature of Apple Silicon hardware, which can improve performance. It's recommended to try MLX and see if its programming model and features better suit your application's needs. MLX shines when working with state-of-the-art, larger models. Can I test Foundation Models in Xcode simulator or device? Yes, you can use the Xcode simulator to test Foundation Models use cases. However, your Mac must be running macOS Tahoe. You can test on a physical iPhone running iOS 18 by connecting it to your Mac and running Playgrounds or live previews directly on the device. Which on-device models will be supported? any open source models? The Foundation Models framework currently supports Apple's first-party models only. This allows for platform-wide optimizations, improving battery life and reducing latency. While Core ML can be used to integrate open-source models, it's generally recommended to first explore the built-in system models and APIs provided by Apple, including those in the Vision, Natural Language, and Speech frameworks, as they are highly optimized for Apple devices. For frontier models, MLX can run very large models. How often will the Foundational Model be updated? How do we test for stability when the model is updated? The Foundation Model will be updated in sync with operating system updates. You can test your app against new model versions during the beta period by downloading the beta OS and running your app. It is highly recommended to create an "eval set" of golden prompts and responses to evaluate the performance of your features as the model changes or as you tweak your prompts. Report any unsatisfactory or satisfactory cases using Feedback Assistant. Which on-device model/API can I use to extract text data from images such as: nutrition labels, ingredient lists, cashier receipts, etc? Thank you. The Vision framework offers the RecognizeDocumentRequest which is specifically designed for these use cases. It not only recognizes text in images but also provides the structure of the document, such as rows in a receipt or the layout of a nutrition label. It can also identify data like phone numbers, addresses, and prices. What is the context window for the model? What are max tokens in and max tokens out? The context window for the Foundation Model is 4,096 tokens. The split between input and output tokens is flexible. For example, if you input 4,000 tokens, you'll have 96 tokens remaining for the output. The API takes in text, converting it to tokens under the hood. When estimating token count, a good rule of thumb is 3-4 characters per token for languages like English, and 1 character per token for languages like Japanese or Chinese. Handle potential errors gracefully by asking for shorter prompts or starting a new session if the token limit is exceeded. Is there a rate limit for Foundation Models API that is limited by power or temperature condition on the iPhone? Yes, there are rate limits, particularly when your app is in the background. A budget is allocated for background app usage, but exceeding it will result in rate-limiting errors. In the foreground, there is no rate limit unless the device is under heavy load (e.g., camera open, game mode). The system dynamically balances performance, battery life, and thermal conditions, which can affect the token throughput. Use appropriate quality of service settings for your tasks (e.g., background priority for background work) to help the system manage resources effectively. Do the foundation models support languages other than English? Yes, the on-device Foundation Model is multilingual and supports all languages supported by Apple Intelligence. To get the model to output in a specific language, prompt it with instructions indicating the user's preferred language using the locale API (e.g., "The user's preferred language is en-US"). Putting the instructions in English, but then putting the user prompt in the desired output language is a recommended practice. Are larger server-based models available through Foundation Models? No, the Foundation Models API currently only provides access to the on-device Large Language Model at the core of Apple Intelligence. It does not support server-side models. On-device models are preferred for privacy and for performance reasons. Is it possible to run Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) using the Foundation Models framework? Yes, it is possible to run RAG on-device, but the Foundation Models framework does not include a built-in embedding model. You'll need to use a separate database to store vectors and implement nearest neighbor or cosine distance searches. The Natural Language framework offers simple word and sentence embeddings that can be used. Consider using a combination of Foundation Models and Core ML, using Core ML for your embedding model.

v3 was released 2 years ago but developers are unable to convert models created with Keras v3 to CoreML

I'm using python 3.9.6, tensorflow 2.20.0, tensorflow-metal 1.2.0, and when I try to run import tensorflow as tf It gives Traceback (most recent call last): File "/Users/haoduoyu/Code/demo.py", line 1, in <module> import tensorflow as tf File "/Users/haoduoyu/Code/test/lib/python3.9/site-packages/tensorflow/__init__.py", line 438, in <module> _ll.load_library(_plugin_dir) File "/Users/haoduoyu/Code/test/lib/python3.9/site-packages/tensorflow/python/framework/load_library.py", line 151, in load_library py_tf.TF_LoadLibrary(lib) tensorflow.python.framework.errors_impl.NotFoundError: dlopen(/Users/haoduoyu/Code/test/lib/python3.9/site-packages/tensorflow-plugins/libmetal_plugin.dylib, 0x0006): Library not loaded: @rpath/_pywrap_tensorflow_internal.so Referenced from: <8B62586B-B082-3113-93AB-FD766A9960AE> /Users/haoduoyu/Code/test/lib/python3.9/site-packages/tensorflow-plugins/libmetal_plugin.dylib Reason: tried: '/Users/haoduoyu/Code/test/lib/python3.9/site-packages/tensorflow-plugins/../_solib_darwin_arm64/_U@local_Uconfig_Utf_S_S_C_Upywrap_Utensorflow_Uinternal___Uexternal_Slocal_Uconfig_Utf/_pywrap_tensorflow_internal.so' (no such file), '/Users/haoduoyu/Code/test/lib/python3.9/site-packages/tensorflow-plugins/../_solib_darwin_arm64/_U@local_Uconfig_Utf_S_S_C_Upywrap_Utensorflow_Uinternal___Uexternal_Slocal_Uconfig_Utf/_pywrap_tensorflow_internal.so' (no such file) As long as I uninstall tensorflow-metal, nothing goes wrong. How can I fix this problem?

Hi, I am developing an iOS application that utilizes Apple’s Foundation Models to perform certain summarization tasks. I would like to understand whether user data is transferred to Private Cloud Compute (PCC) in cases where the computation cannot be performed entirely on-device. This information is critical for our internal security and compliance reviews. I would appreciate your clarification on this matter. Thank you.

Hi everyone, I’m working on an iOS app that uses a Core ML model to run live image recognition. I’ve run into a persistent issue with the mlpackage not being turned into a swift class. This following error is in the code, and in carDetection.mlpackage, it says that model class has not been generated yet. The error in the code is as follows: What I’ve tried: Verified Target Membership is checked for carDetectionModel.mlpackage Confirmed the file is listed under Copy Bundle Resources (and removed from Compile Sources) Cleaned the build folder (Shift + Cmd + K) and rebuilt Renamed and re-added the .mlpackage file Restarted Xcode and re-added the file Logged bundle contents at runtime, but the .mlpackage still doesn’t appear The mlpackage is in Copy bundle resources, and is not in the compile sources. I just don't know why a swift class is not being generated for the mlpackage. Could someone please give me some guidance on what to do to resolve this issue? Sorry if my error is a bit naive, I'm pretty new to iOS app development

Hi team, I’m exploring the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which is used to connect LLMs/AI agents to external tools in a structured way. It's becoming a common standard for automation and agent workflows. Before I go deeper, I want to confirm: Does Apple currently provide any official MCP server, API surface, or SDK on iOS/macOS? From what I see, only third-party MCP servers exist for iOS simulators/devices, and Apple’s own frameworks (Foundation Models, Apple Intelligence) don’t expose MCP endpoints. Is there any chance Apple might introduce MCP support—or publish recommended patterns for safely integrating MCP inside apps or developer tools? I would like to see if I can share my app's data to the MCP server to enable other third-party apps/services to integrate easily

Apple's Image Playground primarily performs image generation on-device, but can use secure Private Cloud Compute for more complex requests that require larger models. Private Cloud Compute (PCC) For more complex tasks that require greater computational power than the device can provide, Image Playground leverages Apple's Private Cloud Compute. This system extends the privacy and security of the device to the cloud: Secure Environment: PCC runs on Apple silicon servers and uses a secure enclave to protect data, ensuring requests are processed in a verified, secure environment. No Data Storage: Data is never stored or made accessible to Apple when using PCC; it is used only to fulfill the specific request. Independent Verification: Independent experts are able to inspect the code running on these servers to verify Apple's privacy promises.

Hello, I am interested in using jax-metal to train ML models using Apple Silicon. I understand this is experimental. After installing jax-metal according to https://developer.apple.com/metal/jax/, my python code fails with the following error JaxRuntimeError: UNKNOWN: -:0:0: error: unknown attribute code: 22 -:0:0: note: in bytecode version 6 produced by: StableHLO_v1.12.1 My issue is identical to the one reported here https://github.com/jax-ml/jax/issues/26968#issuecomment-2733120325, and is fixed by pinning to jax-metal 0.1.1., jax 0.5.0 and jaxlib 0.5.0. Thank you!

I have an app that stores lots of data that is of interest to the user. Analogies would be the Photos apps or the Health app. I'm trying to use the Foundation Models framework to allow users to surface information they find interesting using natural language, for example, "Tell me about the widgets from yesterday" or "Tell me about the widgets for the last 3 days". Specifically, I'm trying to get a date range passed down to the Tool so that I can pull the relevant widgets from the database in the call function. What is the right way to set up the Arguments to get at a date range?

I am running some experiments with WebGPU using the wgpu crate in rust. I have some Buffers already allocated in the GPU. Is it possible to use those already existing buffers directly as inputs to a predict call in CoreML? I want to prevent gpu to cpu download time as much as possible. Or are there any other ways to do something like this. Is this only possible using the latest Tensor object which came out with Metal 4 ?

: Hello, I’m seeking clarification on whether Apple provides any framework or API that enables deep integration between Siri and advanced AI assistants (such as ChatGPT), including system-level functions like voice interaction, navigation, cross-platform syncing, and operational access similar to Siri’s own capabilities. If no such option exists today, I would appreciate guidance on the recommended path or approved third-party solutions for building a unified, voice-first experience across Apple’s ecosystem. Thank you for your time and insight.

Hello everyone, I’m looking for guidance regarding my app review timeline, as things seem unusually delayed compared to previous submissions. My iOS app was rejected on November 19th due to AI-related policy questions. I immediately responded to the reviewer with detailed explanations covering: Model used (Gemini Flash 2.0 / 2.5 Lite) How the AI only generates neutral, non-directive reflective questions How the system prevents any diagnosis, therapy-like behavior or recommendations Crisis-handling limitations Safety safeguards at generation and UI level Internal red-team testing and results Data retention, privacy, and non-use of data for model training After sending the requested information, I resubmitted the build on November 19th at 14:40. Since then: November 20th (7:30) → Status changed to In Review. November 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th → No movement, still In Review. My open case on App Store Connect is still pending without updates. Because of the previous rejection, I expected a short delay, but this is now 5 days total and 3 business days with no progress, which feels longer than usual for my past submissions. I’m not sure whether: My app is in a secondary review queue due to the AI-related rejection, The reviewer is waiting for internal clarification, Or if something is stuck and needs to be escalated. I don’t want to resubmit a new build unless necessary, since that would restart the queue. Could someone from the community (or Apple, if possible) confirm whether this waiting time is normal after an AI-policy rejection? And is there anything I should do besides waiting — for example, contacting Developer Support again or requesting a follow-up? Thank you very much for your help. I appreciate any insight from others who have experienced similar delays.

I am follwing this tutorial: https://apple.github.io/coremltools/docs-guides/source/convert-a-torchvision-model-from-pytorch.html I have obtained simialr result using the python code. However when I view it in Xcode, the preview prediction percentage confidence is way off I suspect it is due the the output of the model, which is in percentage already and in Xcode it multiply 100 again leading to this result. Please give me any feedback to fix this, thank you.

Hi, guys. I'm writing about Apple Intelligence and I reached the point I have to explain App Intent Domains https://developer.apple.com/documentation/AppIntents/app-intent-domains but I noticed that there is a note explaining that these services are not available with Siri. I tried the example provided by Apple at https://developer.apple.com/documentation/AppIntents/making-your-app-s-functionality-available-to-siri and I can only make the intents work from the Shortcuts App, but not from Siri. Is this correct. App Intent Domains are still not available with Siri? Thanks

Is foundation models matured enough to take input from the Apple Vision framework to generate responses? Something similar to what google's gemini does although in a much smaller scale and for a very specific niche.

Hi, I'm currently using Metal Performance Shaders Graph (MPSGraphExecutable) to run neural network inference operations as part of a metal rendering pipeline. I also tried to profile the usage of neural engine when running inference using MPSGraphExecutable but the graph shows no sign of neural engine usage. However, when I used the coreML model inspection tool in xcode and run performance report, it was able to use ANE. Does MPSGraphExecutable automatically utilize the Apple Neural Engine (ANE) when running inference operations, or does it only execute on GPU? My model (Core ML Package) was converted from a pytouch model using coremltools with ML program type and support iOS17.0+. Any insights or documentation references would be greatly appreciated!

I'm on Tahoe 26.1 / M3 Macbook Air. I'm using VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest as properly as possible, as in the minimal command line program attached below. For some reason, I always get: MLE5Engine is disabled through the configuration printed. I couldn't find any notes on developer docs saying that VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest can not use the Apple Neural Engine. I'm assuming there is something wrong with my code however I wasn't able to find any remarks from documentation where it might be. I wasn't able to find the above error message online either. I would appreciate your help a lot and thank you in advance. The code below accesses the video from AVCaptureDevice.DeviceType.builtInWideAngleCamera. Currently it directly chooses the 0th format which has the largest resolution (Full HD on my M3 MBA) and "4:2:0" color "v" reduced color component spectrum encoding ("420v"). After accessing video, it performs a VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest. It prints "VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest completion Handler called" many times, then prints the error message above, then continues printing "VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest completion Handler called" until the user quits it. To run it in Xcode, File > New project > Mac command line tool. Pasting the code below, then click on the root file > Targets > Signing & Capabilities > Hardened Runtime > Resource Access > Camera. A possible explanation could be that either Apple's internal CoreML code for this function works on GPU/CPU only or it doesn't accept 420v as supplied by the Macbook Air camera import AVKit import Vision var videoDataOutput: AVCaptureVideoDataOutput = AVCaptureVideoDataOutput() var detectionRequests: [VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest]? var videoDataOutputQueue: DispatchQueue = DispatchQueue(label: "queue") class XYZ: /*NSViewController or NSObject*/NSObject, AVCaptureVideoDataOutputSampleBufferDelegate { func viewDidLoad() { //super.viewDidLoad() let session = AVCaptureSession() let inputDevice = try! self.configureFrontCamera(for: session) self.configureVideoDataOutput(for: inputDevice.device, resolution: inputDevice.resolution, captureSession: session) self.prepareVisionRequest() session.startRunning() } fileprivate func highestResolution420Format(for device: AVCaptureDevice) -> (format: AVCaptureDevice.Format, resolution: CGSize)? { let deviceFormat = device.formats[0] print(deviceFormat) let dims = CMVideoFormatDescriptionGetDimensions(deviceFormat.formatDescription) let resolution = CGSize(width: CGFloat(dims.width), height: CGFloat(dims.height)) return (deviceFormat, resolution) } fileprivate func configureFrontCamera(for captureSession: AVCaptureSession) throws -> (device: AVCaptureDevice, resolution: CGSize) { let deviceDiscoverySession = AVCaptureDevice.DiscoverySession(deviceTypes: [AVCaptureDevice.DeviceType.builtInWideAngleCamera], mediaType: .video, position: AVCaptureDevice.Position.unspecified) let device = deviceDiscoverySession.devices.first! let deviceInput = try! AVCaptureDeviceInput(device: device) captureSession.addInput(deviceInput) let highestResolution = self.highestResolution420Format(for: device)! try! device.lockForConfiguration() device.activeFormat = highestResolution.format device.unlockForConfiguration() return (device, highestResolution.resolution) } fileprivate func configureVideoDataOutput(for inputDevice: AVCaptureDevice, resolution: CGSize, captureSession: AVCaptureSession) { videoDataOutput.setSampleBufferDelegate(self, queue: videoDataOutputQueue) captureSession.addOutput(videoDataOutput) } fileprivate func prepareVisionRequest() { let faceDetectionRequest: VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest = VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest(completionHandler: { (request, error) in print("VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest completion Handler called") }) // Start with detection detectionRequests = [faceDetectionRequest] } // MARK: AVCaptureVideoDataOutputSampleBufferDelegate // Handle delegate method callback on receiving a sample buffer. public func captureOutput(_ output: AVCaptureOutput, didOutput sampleBuffer: CMSampleBuffer, from connection: AVCaptureConnection) { var requestHandlerOptions: [VNImageOption: AnyObject] = [:] let cameraIntrinsicData = CMGetAttachment(sampleBuffer, key: kCMSampleBufferAttachmentKey_CameraIntrinsicMatrix, attachmentModeOut: nil) if cameraIntrinsicData != nil { requestHandlerOptions[VNImageOption.cameraIntrinsics] = cameraIntrinsicData } let pixelBuffer = CMSampleBufferGetImageBuffer(sampleBuffer)! // No tracking object detected, so perform initial detection let imageRequestHandler = VNImageRequestHandler(cvPixelBuffer: pixelBuffer, orientation: CGImagePropertyOrientation.up, options: requestHandlerOptions) try! imageRequestHandler.perform(detectionRequests!) } } let X = XYZ() X.viewDidLoad() sleep(9999999)

Is there an API that allows iOS app developers to leverage Apple Foundation Models to authorize a user's Apple Intelligence extension, chatGPT login account? I'm trying to provide a real-time question feature for chatGPT, a logged-in extension account, while leveraging Apple Intelligence's LLM. Is there an API that also affects the extension login account?

Hi all! Nice to meet you., I am planning to build an iOS application that can: Capture an image using the camera or select one from the gallery. Remove the background and keep only the detected main object. Add a border (outline) around the detected object’s shape. Apply an animation along that border (e.g., moving light or glowing effect). Include a transition animation when removing the background — for example, breaking the background into pieces as it disappears. The app Capword has a similar feature for object isolation, and I’d like to build something like that. Could you please provide any guidance, frameworks, or sample code related to: Object segmentation and background removal in Swift (Vision or Core ML). Applying custom borders and shape animations around detected objects. Recognizing the object name (e.g., “person”, “cat”, “car”) after segmentation. Thank you very much for your support. Best regards, SINN SOKLYHOR

Hi, I was using Foundation Models in my app, and suddenly it just stopped working from one moment to the next. To double-check, I created a small test in Playgrounds, but I’m getting the exact same error there too. #Playground { let session = LanguageModelSession() let prompt = "please answer a word" do { let response = try await session.respond(to: prompt) } catch { print("error is \(error)") } } error is Error Domain=FoundationModels.LanguageModelSession.GenerationError Code=-1 "(null)" UserInfo={NSMultipleUnderlyingErrorsKey=( "Error Domain=ModelManagerServices.ModelManagerError Code=1026 \"(null)\" UserInfo={NSMultipleUnderlyingErrorsKey=(\n)}" )} I’m no longer able to get any response from the framework anywhere, even in a fresh project. It's been 5 days. Has anyone else experienced this issue or knows what could be causing it? Thanks in advance! Tahoe 26.2 beta 1, Xcode 26.1.1, iPhone Air simulator 26.1

My app used app intents. And when user said "Prüfung der Bluetooth Funktion", screen can show the whole words. But in my app, it only can get "Bluetooth Funktion". This behaviour only happened in German version. In English version, everything worked well. Is anyone can support me? Why German version siri cut my words?