Apple opens Xcode 27 to Google’s Gemini AI models

Google Brings Gemini Models to Apple Developers via Xcode and Foundation Models Framework

Google and Apple are deepening their AI collaboration with a suite of developer tools unveiled at WWDC 2026. Starting with preview releases available Monday, Apple developers can access cloud-hosted Gemini models through Apple’s Foundation Models framework and use Gemini natively inside Xcode 27 for agentic coding tasks such as reviewing code, fixing bugs, and building features.iphonesoft

A Shared API for On-Device and Cloud AI

At the center of the update is Apple’s Foundation Models framework, which now serves as a single native Swift API for accessing AI models both on-device and in the cloud. Google’s Gemini is among the first third-party models available through a new LanguageModel protocol, integrated via the Firebase Apple SDK. The setup uses Firebase AI Logic and Firebase App Check, allowing developers to add Gemini to iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps without maintaining a separate backend server.google

Developers can switch between Apple’s own on-device models and cloud-hosted Gemini models using the same API surface — a design that mirrors Google’s hybrid inference approach already available on Android, where apps can dynamically route between on-device Gemini Nano and cloud-hosted models. Apple noted that the next generation of its Foundation Models was developed in collaboration with Google and its Gemini technology, a partnership the two companies formalized in a joint statement earlier this year describing a “multi-year collaboration” in which Apple Foundation Models would be based on Gemini models and cloud infrastructure.macrumors

Gemini Inside Xcode 27

Xcode 27 now integrates coding agents from Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI directly into the development workflow. For Gemini specifically, developers can enable it through Xcode’s Intelligence settings panel, with authentication options including Google AI Studio for individuals and the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform for organizations. Coding agents can plan tasks interactively, write and run tests, experiment in Playgrounds, and validate visual changes through previews. Apple is also introducing support for Model Context Protocol and Agent Client Protocol, with GitHub and Figma providing the first direct integrations into Xcode.youtube

Broader Access, No Extra Cost for Small Developers

Apple said developers enrolled in the App Store Small Business Program with fewer than two million total first-time downloads can access the next generation of Apple Foundation Models on Private Cloud Compute at no cloud API cost. Developer betas for iOS 27, macOS 27, and Xcode 27 are available now through Apple’s developer program, with Google confirming that Gemini support for the Foundation Models framework is available as a preview release starting the same day.fonearena