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.

We are trying to implement a custom encryption scheme for our Core ML models. Our goal is to bundle encrypted models, decrypt them into memory at runtime, and instantiate the MLModel without the unencrypted model file ever touching the disk. We have looked into the native apple encryption described here https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coreml/encrypting-a-model-in-your-app but it has limitations like not working on intel macs, without SIP, and doesn’t work loading from dylib. It seems like most of the Core ML APIs require a file path, there is MLModelAsset APIs but I think they just write a modelc back to disk when compiling but can’t find any information confirming that (also concerned that this seems to be an older API, and means we need to compile at runtime). I am aware that the native encryption will be much more secure but would like not to have the models in readable text on disk. Does anyone know if this is possible or any alternatives to try to obfuscate the Core ML models, thanks

I've downloaded the Xcode-beta and run the sample project "FoundationModelsTripPlanner" but I got this error when trying generate the response. InferenceError::inferenceFailed::Error Domain=com.apple.UnifiedAssetFramework Code=5000 "There are no underlying assets (neither atomic instance nor asset roots) for consistency token for asset set com.apple.modelcatalog" UserInfo={NSLocalizedFailureReason=There are no underlying assets (neither atomic instance nor asset roots) for consistency token for asset set com.apple.modelcatalog} Device: M1 Pro Question: Is it because M1 not supporting this feature?

Hi there, I have a custom keypoint detection model and want to use it via vision's CoremlRequest API. Here's some complication for input and output: For input My model expect 512x512 a image. Which would be resized and padded from a 1920x1080 frame. I use the .scaleToFit option, but can I also specify the color used for padding? For output: My model output a CoreMLFeatureValueObservation, can I have it output in a format vision recognizes? such as joints/keypoints If my model is able to output in a format vision recognizes, would it take care to restoring the coordinates back to the original frame? (undo the padding) If not, how do I restore it from .scaletofit option? Best,

Hey dear developers! This post should be available for the future Siri updates and improvements but also for wishes in this forum so that everyone can share their opinion and idea please stay friendly. have fun! I had already thought about developing a demo app to demonstrate my idea for a better Siri. My change of many: Wish Update: Siri's language recognition capabilities have been significantly enhanced. Instead of manually setting the language, Siri can now automatically recognize the language you intend to use, making language switching much more efficient. Simply speak the language you want to communicate in, and Siri will automatically recognize it and respond accordingly. Whether you speak English, German, or Japanese, Siri will respond in the language you choose.

Is Private Cloud Compute allowed? Or are on-device Foundational Models allowed only? Thanks!

I have an app that streams in data from the Foundation Model and I have a card that shows one of the outputs. I want my card to accept a partially generated model but I keep getting a nonsensical error. The error I get on line 59 is: Cannot convert value of type 'FrostDate.VegetableSuggestion.PartiallyGenerated' (aka 'FrostDate.VegetableSuggestion') to expected argument type 'FrostDate.VegetableSuggestion.PartiallyGenerated' Here is my card with preview: import SwiftUI import FoundationModels struct VegetableSuggestionCard: View { let vegetableSuggestion: VegetableSuggestion.PartiallyGenerated init(vegetableSuggestion: VegetableSuggestion.PartiallyGenerated) { self.vegetableSuggestion = vegetableSuggestion } var body: some View { VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 8) { if let name = vegetableSuggestion.vegetableName { Text(name) .font(.headline) .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading) } if let startIndoors = vegetableSuggestion.startSeedsIndoors { Text("Start indoors: \(startIndoors)") .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading) } if let startOutdoors = vegetableSuggestion.startSeedsOutdoors { Text("Start outdoors: \(startOutdoors)") .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading) } if let transplant = vegetableSuggestion.transplantSeedlingsOutdoors { Text("Transplant: \(transplant)") .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading) } if let tips = vegetableSuggestion.tips { Text("Tips: \(tips)") .foregroundStyle(.secondary) .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading) } } .padding(16) .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading) .background( RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 16, style: .continuous) .fill(.background) .overlay( RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 16, style: .continuous) .strokeBorder(.quaternary, lineWidth: 1) ) .shadow(color: Color.black.opacity(0.05), radius: 6, x: 0, y: 2) ) } } #Preview("Vegetable Suggestion Card") { let sample = VegetableSuggestion.PartiallyGenerated( vegetableName: "Tomato", startSeedsIndoors: "6–8 weeks before last frost", startSeedsOutdoors: "After last frost when soil is warm", transplantSeedlingsOutdoors: "1–2 weeks after last frost", tips: "Harden off seedlings; provide full sun and consistent moisture." ) VegetableSuggestionCard(vegetableSuggestion: sample) .padding() .previewLayout(.sizeThatFits) }

About the Core ML model encryption mention in:https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coreml/encrypting-a-model-in-your-app Ｗhen I encrypted the model, if the machine is M chip, the model will load perfectly. One the other hand, when I test the executable on an Intel chip macbook, there will be an error: Error Domain=com.apple.CoreML Code=9 "Operation not supported on this platform." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Operation not supported on this platform.} Intel test machine is 2019 macbook air with CPU: Intel i5-8210Y, OS: 14.7.6 23H626, With Apple T2 Security Chip. The encrypted model do load on M2 and M4 macbook air. If the model is NOT encrypted, it will also load on the Intel test machine. I did not find in Core ML document that suggest if the encryption/decryption support Intel chips. May I check if the decryption indeed does NOT support Intel chip?

Would there be a popup automatically shown to a user saying to enable Apple Intelligence if our user has the toggle turned off? Just curious about how that experience looks for both us as developers and users.

Greetings! I was trying to get a response from the LanguageModelSession but I just keep getting the following: Error getting response: Model Catalog error: Error Domain=com.apple.UnifiedAssetFramework Code=5000 "There are no underlying assets (neither atomic instance nor asset roots) for consistency token for asset set com.apple.MobileAsset.UAF.FM.Overrides" UserInfo={NSLocalizedFailureReason=There are no underlying assets (neither atomic instance nor asset roots) for consistency token for asset set com.apple.MobileAsset.UAF.FM.Overrides} This occurs both in macOS 15.5 running the new Xcode beta with an iOS 26 simulator, and also on a macOS 26 with Xcode beta. The simulators are both Pro iPhone 16s. I was wondering if anyone had any advice?

Hello It seems the model Content Tagging doesn't obey when I define the type of tag I wish in the instructions parameters, always the output are the main topics. The unique form to get other type of tags like emotions is using Generable + Guided types. The documentation says it is recommended but not mandatory the use instructions. Maybe I'm setting wrongly the instructions but take a look in the attached snapshot. I copied the definition of tagging emotions from the official documentation. The upper example is employing generable and it works but in the example at the botton I set like instruction the same description of emotion and it doesn't work. I tried with other statements with more or less verbose and never output emotions. Could you provide a state using instruction where it works? Current version of model isn't working with instruction?

When I use the FoundationModel framework to generate long text, it will always hit an error. "Passing along Client rate limit exceeded, try again later in response to ExecuteRequest" And stop generating. eg. for the prompt "Write a long story", it will almost certainly hit that error after 17 seconds of generation. do{ let session = LanguageModelSession() let prompt: String = "Write a long story" let response = try await session.respond(to: prompt) }catch{} If possible, I want to know how to prevent that error or at least how to handle it.

I didn't run benchmarks before update, but it seems at least 5x slower. Of course all the LLM work is on remote servers, so is non-intuitive to me this should be happening. Had updated MacOS and Xcode to 26.1RC at the same time, so can't even say I think it is MacOS or I think it is Xcode. Before the update the progress indicator for each piece of code might seem to get stuck at the very end (and toggling between Navigators and Coding Assistant) in Xcode UI seemed to refresh the UI and confirm coding complete... but now it seems progress races to 50%, then often is stuck at 75%... well earlier than used to get stuck. And it like something is legitimately processing not just a UI glitch. I'm wondering if this is somehow tied to visual rendering of the code in the little white window? CMD-TAB into Xcode seems laggy. Xcode is pinning a CPU. Why, this is all remote LLM work? MacBook Pro 2021 M1 64GB RAM. Went from 26.01 to 26.1RC. Didn't touch any of the betas until RC1.

When using Foundation Models, is it possible to ask the model to produce output in a specific language, apart from giving an instruction like "Provide answers in ." ? (I tried that and it kind of worked, but it seems fragile.) I haven't noticed an API to do so and have a use-case where the output should be in a user-selectable language that is not the current system language.

Hello everyone, I am currently developing a smart camera app for iOS that recommends optimal zoom and exposure values on-device using a custom Core ML model. I am still waiting for an official response from Apple Support, but I wanted to ask the community if anyone has experience with a similar workflow regarding App Review and the DPLA. Here is my training methodology: I gathered my own proprietary dataset of original landscape photos. I generated multiple variants of these photos with different zoom and exposure settings offline on my Mac. I used the CalculateImageAestheticsScoresRequest (Vision framework) via a local macOS command-line tool to evaluate and score each variant. Based on those scores, I labeled the "best" zoom and exposure parameters for each original photo. I used this labeled dataset to train my own independent neural network using PyTorch, and then converted it to a Core ML model to ship inside my app. Since the app uses my own custom model on-device and does not send any user data to a server, the privacy aspect is clear. However, I am curious if using the output of Apple's Vision API strictly offline to label my own dataset could be interpreted as "reverse engineering" or a violation of the Developer Program License Agreement (DPLA). Has anyone successfully shipped an app using a similar knowledge distillation or automated dataset labeling approach with Apple's APIs? Did you face any pushback during App Review? Any insights or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Itself been 4-5 days my Image playground has showing the “Downloading Support for Image Playground “

When I ran the following code on a physical iPhone device that supports Apple Intelligence, I encountered the following error log. What does this internal error code mean? Image generation failed with NSError in a different domain: Error Domain=ImagePlaygroundInternal.ImageGeneration.GenerationError Code=11 “(null)”, returning a generic error instead let imageCreator = try await ImageCreator() let style = imageCreator.availableStyles.first ?? .animation let stream = imageCreator.images(for: [.text("cat")], style: style, limit: 1) for try await result in stream { // error: ImagePlayground.ImageCreator.Error.creationFailed _ = result.cgImage }

I'm working on a to-do list app that uses SpeechTranscriber and Foundation Models framework to transcribe a user's voice into text and create to-do items based off of it. After about 30 minutes looking at my code, I couldn't figure out why I was failing to generate a to-do for "I need to go to Six Flags Great America tomorrow at 3pm." It turns out, I was consistently firing the Foundation Models's safety filter violation for unsafe content ("May contain unsafe content"). Lesson learned: consider comprehensively logging Foundation Models error states to quickly identify when safety filters are unexpectedly triggered.

When trying to open an encrypted CoreML model file on a system with SIP disabled, the error message is Failed to generate key request for <...> with error: -42187 This should state that SIP is disabled and needs to be enabled.

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.