Developing iPad Apps

iOS 9 SDK includes over 5000 new APIs and services that are enabling new categories of apps and features. Multitasking and gaming APIs help enhance app functionality and create highly immersive games on iPad. And starting in November, your apps and games can take full advantage of the large Retina display and advanced technologies of iPad Pro.

iPad Pro

iPad has always offered a uniquely simple yet immersive experience. And now with its expansive 12.9-inch Retina display, A9X chip with 64‑bit desktop‑class architecture delivering incredible CPU and graphics performance, refined Multi‑Touch technology, and four speaker audio, iPad Pro adds another dimension to that experience for your apps and games. Learn more about iPad Pro

Apple Pencil

iOS 9.1 introduces APIs that expand the power of Multi‑Touch and open up new creative possibilities with the Apple Pencil for iPad Pro. Learn how to use the UITouch class in your apps to build support for the new Apple Pencil.

Multitasking

Multitasking in iOS 9 help users get more done more easily, and takes advantage of the large display on iPad to create new experiences with two iPad apps running at the same time. Use size classes in Interface Builder to support multitasking in your app and let your users take advantage of Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture.

  • With Split View, users can have two apps open and active at the same time.

  • Slide Over is a quick way to interact with a second app without leaving the app you’re in.

  • Picture in Picture lets users continue watching a video while moving from app to app.

Build even more amazing games.

With the latest advancements in SceneKit, SpriteKit, and Metal, games on iOS are better than ever. iOS 9 brings even more powerful, easy-to-use gaming technologies. GameplayKit makes it simple to build better quality games that involve complex rules, states, and behaviors. Model I/O gives you powerful control over the rendering of physical object models with materials and realistic lighting. ReplayKit lets users easily record and share great game content.

GameplayKit

Leverage the GameplayKit tools to develop complex rule-based games with an easy-to-use rule engine. Agent and behavior features let you map real world behavior on game characters. A state machine helps manage game and player states and a randomization engine creates challenging gameplay.

ReplayKit

Games can leverage ReplayKit to record video of their content, and allow the user to quickly edit the video within the app and share it online.

Model I/O

Model I/O provides physically-based materials, models, and lighting for SceneKit, GameplayKit, and Metal that you can integrate into your games.

App Thinning

With iOS 9, the App Store allows users to download apps that are specifically optimized for their device. This means apps will download, install and launch faster while taking up less storage space than before. Build support for slicing, on-demand resources, and bitcode, and give your users smaller, more convenient updates to your apps.

Xcode 7 and iOS SDK

Download the latest version of Xcode 7 to start building apps with the iOS 9 SDK today.

Download Xcode 7

WWDC Session Videos

Watch and learn from our engineers as they explain how to bring the best of Apple technologies to your apps.

Watch now

Documentation

Find a comprehensive set of programming guides, reference, and sample code for iOS 9.

View guides and sample code