macOS 27 expands the Virtualization framework with automated macOS guest provisioning, USB accessory passthrough via the new Accessory Access framework, advanced vmnet network topologies, and efficient disk image management via the new DiskImageKit framework.
ā¢ New VZMacGuestProvisioningOptions API enables fully automated macOS Setup Assistant bypass on first boot
ā¢ New Accessory Access framework (AAUSBAccessoryManager, AAUSBAccessoryMatchingCriteria) enables USB device hot-plug passthrough to VMs
ā¢ vmnet framework integration via VZVmnetNetworkDeviceAttachment allows custom multi-VM network topologies with DHCP and port-forwarding control
ā¢ New DiskImageKit framework introduces ASIF sparse disk image support with layered overlay/snapshot semantics
ā¢ Automate virtual Mac setup end-to-end ā specify username, password, auto-login, and SSH without touching Setup Assistant manually
ā¢ Attach and hot-plug USB accessories to VMs at runtime using the new Accessory Access framework, keeping users in control
ā¢ Build advanced multi-VM network topologies with vmnet and manage disk images efficiently with ASIF-backed DiskImageKit
iOS 27 adds sectioned queries, codable model attributes, ResultsObserver for non-SwiftUI change observation, and HistoryObserver for reacting to persistent history changes in SwiftData.
iOS 27 expands the App Intents framework with RelevantEntities for contextual content surfacing, EntityCollection for high-performance batch parameter handling, SyncableEntity for cross-device Siri continuity, native Duration/PersonNameComponents parameter types, and @UnionValue for multi-type parameters ā plus extended intent execution time limits.
USDKit is a new first-party Swift framework introduced in iOS/macOS 27 that brings native USD scene creation, composition, modification, and export capabilities to Apple platform apps, with deep RealityKit and Spatial Preview integration.
In-depth guide
iOS 26 ā iOS 27 Migration Guide āXcode 27 introduces an agentic localization workflow that lets you ask a coding agent to translate your entire app directly inside Xcode, leveraging String Catalog context ā including where and how strings are used ā to produce accurate, consistent translations across all languages.