I'm making my app in Xcode (as an app playground). I understand that the app will be run in a simulator when being evaluated if I choose the Xcode option on the submission form. However, my app looks significantly better on iPhones than on iPads. Is there a way for me to specify which device to use that will be respected by judges? What about device orientation? Thanks.

My swift student challenge submission is an iPad app built in Xcode and I'm planning on selecting the Xcode 26 option for testing in the dropdown provided in the application. Just have to confirm that the run destination for the playground in Xcode will be an iPad simulator right? Recently I have seen many participants post their submission screenshot for iPhone renders so just wanted to confirm the run destination. Thank you👾

I am looking through the rules and terms and it just says Xcode submissions will be run on a simulator. Does this mean Mac Catalyst or can it be run on a iPad VM? Or more so should we specify in the comments on where to run it. Thank you!

Hello, I built my app in Xcode and used IOS 26 latest frameworks like Foundation Models. But some of this frameworks don't work properly in Swift Playground(MyApp.swiftpm) and cause crashes. My question is can I submit a MyApp.xcodeproj file and choose Xcode 26 as a software to run my app ? Thank you in advance.

I am building my app for iPhone users generally, and realized that maybe I should have had the iPad in mind since I read somewhere that the submissions will be judged on iPad. Should I be testing and tweaking on iPad now or can it be somehow ran on iPhone?

I hope you’re having a fantastic New Year and that your apps are doing great! This is my first time entering SSC , and I’m excited to share that I’m developing a screen timer app. The idea is to encourage you to take breaks by suggesting a run or workout instead of spending too much time on your screens. I was wondering, have anyone else included short videos or animations in their entries before? Also, could my screen time timer be running in the background? I know there are some limitations with integrations like HealthKit and Screen Time, which is why I’m using a regular countdown timer on the App Store as a prototype. I’m just trying to clarify the rules below to make sure that it’s all good to go : “If your submission includes any open source software, music, photos, artwork, or any other content that you do not have ownership rights in, you agree to (a) comply with all applicable licensing terms and copyright obligations and (b) provide an explanation of why it was used.” And regarding any tracking stuff in the disqualification section, whereas nothing in the app should include: “You track and/or insert analytics code in your App Store meant to identify or track judges’ activity while they review your App Store.” But my app will only have a simple timer in it.

I’m building a Swift Playgrounds app (.swiftpm) in Xcode 26.2 and I consistently see this warning, even on brand-new Swift Playgrounds apps created from the default template: “Skipping duplicate build file in Compile Sources build phase: /Users/.../.swiftpm/Media.xcassets” Everything builds and runs normally and all images/assets appear correctly, so it seems like it’s just an annoying warning. I’ve checked for duplicates and don’t see the asset catalog listed twice, but the warning still appears whenever I add an asset catalog to any playground project in Xcode. Is this warning safe to ignore for submission, and it won’t affect Swift Student Challenge eligibility?

Hello everyone, I have already submitted my app playground for the Swift Student Challenge. After submission I noticed a few things I would like to improve and fix. Is it possible to withdraw my current submission and then immediately resubmit an updated version? Any clarification (especially from Apple staff or anyone who has done this before) would be very helpful. Thank you!

Hello Apple Developer Community, I am planning to participate in the Swift Student Challenge 2026. However, while reviewing the application form, I noticed that my country of residence is not listed in the address dropdown menu. I would like to clarify the correct way to proceed in this situation to avoid disqualification: Is it permissible to use the address of a relative who lives in a supported region as my contact address? Is filling out the shipping address mandatory for the initial submission, or is there an option to proceed without it? I want to ensure I fully comply with the Terms and Conditions. Any guidance or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi all, The SSDC states: Challenge submissions are due by Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST I am curious does this apply to local timezone? I am GMT+0, so would this mean the deadline for GMT+0 is on the 1st of March at 7:59AM? Kind regards, Adam

Hello, I recently submitted my Swift Student Challenge app playground and realized after submission that I accidentally selected Swift Playgrounds as the software to run it, instead of Xcode 26 or later. My project builds and runs successfully in Xcode 26 using the iOS 26 SDK and simulator. However, when opening the same .swiftpm project in the Swift Playgrounds app on iPad, it does not compile because Swift Playgrounds currently only supports up to iOS 18 SDK and does not support iOS 26 APIs. The submission itself is complete, builds correctly in Xcode, and was submitted before the deadline. The incorrect selection of Swift Playgrounds was an honest mistake during the submission process. I wanted to ask whether reviewers are able to run the submission using Xcode 26 in cases like this, or if there is anything I should do. Thank you very much for your time.

Hello, I recently submitted my Swift Student Challenge app playground (“Crest”) and realized after submission that I accidentally selected Swift Playgrounds as the software to run it, instead of Xcode 26 or later. My project builds and runs successfully in Xcode 26 using the iOS 26 SDK and simulator. However, when opening the same .swiftpm project in the Swift Playgrounds app on iPad, it does not compile because Swift Playgrounds currently only supports up to iOS 18 SDK and does not support iOS 26 APIs. The submission itself is complete, builds correctly in Xcode, and was submitted before the deadline. The incorrect selection of Swift Playgrounds was an honest mistake during the submission process. I wanted to ask whether reviewers are able to run the submission using Xcode 26 in cases like this, or if there is anything I should do. Thank you very much for your time.