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Is there an API for the 3D effect from flat photos?
Introduced in the Keynote was the 3D Lock Screen images with the kangaroo: https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/06/3d-lock-screen-2.gif I can't see any mention on if this effect is available for developers with an API to convert flat 2D photos in to the same 3D feeling image. Does anyone know if there is an API?
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Jun ’25
NLModel won't initialize in MessageFilterExtension
i'm trying to create an NLModel within a MessageFilterExtension handler. The code works fine in the main app, but when I try to use it in the extension it fails to initialize. Just this doesn't even work and gets the error below. Single line that fails. SMS_Classifier is the class xcode generated for my model. This line works fine in the main app. let mlModel = try SMS_Classifier(configuration: MLModelConfiguration()).model Error Unable to locate Asset for contextual word embedding model for local en. MLModelAsset: load failed with error Error Domain=com.apple.CoreML Code=0 "initialization of text classifier model with model data failed" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=initialization of text classifier model with model data failed} Any ideas?
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Jan ’25
Making a model in MLLinearRegressor works with Sonoma, but on upgrading to 15.3.1 it no longer does "anything"
I was generating models using the code:- import Foundation import CreateML import TabularData import CoreML .... func makeTheModel(columntopredict:String,training:DataFrame,colstouse:[String],numberofmodels:Int) -> [MLLinearRegressor] { var returnmodels = [MLLinearRegressor]() var result = 0.0 for i in 0...numberofmodels { let pms = MLLinearRegressor.ModelParameters(validation: .split(strategy: .automatic)) do { let tm = try MLLinearRegressor(trainingData: training, targetColumn: columntopredict) returnmodels.append(tm) } catch let error as NSError { print("Error: \(error.localizedDescription)") } } return returnmodels } Which worked absolutely fine with Sonoma, but upon upgrading the OS to 15.3.1, it does absolutely nothing. I get no error messages, I get nothing, the code just pauses. If I look at CPU usage, as soon as it hits the line let tm = try MLLinearRegressor(trainingData: training, targetColumn: columntopredict) the CPU usage drops to 0% What am I doing wrong? Is there a flag I need to set somewhere in Xcode? This is on an M1 MacBook Pro Any help would be greatly appreciated
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Mar ’25
Model Rate Limits?
Trying the Foundation Model framework and when I try to run several sessions in a loop, I'm getting a thrown error that I'm hitting a rate limit. Are these rate limits documented? What's the best practice here? I'm trying to run the models against new content downloaded from a web service where I might get ~200 items in a given download. They're relatively small but there can be that many that want to be processed in a loop.
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Jun ’25
Error when using Image Feature Print v2
Hi all, I'm working on an app to classify dog breeds via CoreML, but when I try training a model using Image Feature Print v2, I get the following error: Failed to create CVPixelBufferPool. Width = 0, Height = 0, Format = 0x00000000 Strangely, when I switch back to Image Feature Print v1, the model trains perfectly fine. I've verified that there aren't any invalid or broken images in my dataset. Is there a fix for this? Thanks!
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Jan ’25
Running a local LLM on Swift Playgrounds
I am trying to run TinyLlama directly using Swift Playgrounds for iOS. I have tried multiple solutions, like libraries (LLM.swift, swift-transformers, ...) which never worked due to import issues, and also tried importing an exported mlmodel. For the later, I followed the article about Llama 3.1 on CoreML. It was hard to understand how to do the inference with it, but I was able to export a mlpackage, that I then placed in a xcode project to generate the mlmodelc (compiled model) and the model class. I had to go with the first version described in the article, without optimizations, as I got errors during model loading with the flexible input shapes. I was able to run the model for one token generation. But my biggest problem is that, though the mlmodelc is only 550 MiB, th model loads 24+GiB of memory, largely exceeding what I can have on an iOS device. Is there a way to use do LLM inferences on Swift Playgrounds at a reasonable speed (even 1 token / s would be sufficient)?
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Jan ’25
Core ML Model performance far lower on iOS 17 vs iOS 16 (iOS 17 not using Neural Engine)
Hello, I posted an issue on the coremltools GitHub about my Core ML models not performing as well on iOS 17 vs iOS 16 but I'm posting it here just in case. TL;DR The same model on the same device/chip performs far slower (doesn't use the Neural Engine) on iOS 17 compared to iOS 16. Longer description The following screenshots show the performance of the same model (a PyTorch computer vision model) on an iPhone SE 3rd gen and iPhone 13 Pro (both use the A15 Bionic). iOS 16 - iPhone SE 3rd Gen (A15 Bioinc) iOS 16 uses the ANE and results in fast prediction, load and compilation times. iOS 17 - iPhone 13 Pro (A15 Bionic) iOS 17 doesn't seem to use the ANE, thus the prediction, load and compilation times are all slower. Code To Reproduce The following is my code I'm using to export my PyTorch vision model (using coremltools). I've used the same code for the past few months with sensational results on iOS 16. # Convert to Core ML using the Unified Conversion API coreml_model = ct.convert( model=traced_model, inputs=[image_input], outputs=[ct.TensorType(name="output")], classifier_config=ct.ClassifierConfig(class_names), convert_to="neuralnetwork", # compute_precision=ct.precision.FLOAT16, compute_units=ct.ComputeUnit.ALL ) System environment: Xcode version: 15.0 coremltools version: 7.0.0 OS (e.g. MacOS version or Linux type): Linux Ubuntu 20.04 (for exporting), macOS 13.6 (for testing on Xcode) Any other relevant version information (e.g. PyTorch or TensorFlow version): PyTorch 2.0 Additional context This happens across "neuralnetwork" and "mlprogram" type models, neither use the ANE on iOS 17 but both use the ANE on iOS 16 If anyone has a similar experience, I'd love to hear more. Otherwise, if I'm doing something wrong for the exporting of models for iOS 17+, please let me know. Thank you!
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Mar ’25
FoundationModels not supported on Mac Catalyst?
I'd love to add a feature based on FoundationModels to the Mac Catalyst version of my iOS app. Unfortunately I get an error when importing FoundationModels: No such module 'FoundationModels'. Documentation says Mac Catalyst is supported: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/foundationmodels I can create iOS builds using the FoundationModels framework without issues. Hope this will be fixed soon! Config: Xcode 26.0 beta (17A5241e) macOS 26.0 Beta (25A5279m) 15-inch, M4, 2025 MacBook Air
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Jun ’25
A Summary of the WWDC25 Group Lab - Machine Learning and AI Frameworks
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.
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Jun ’25
FoundationModels tool calling not working (iOS 26, beta 6)
I have a fairly basic prompt I've created that parses a list of locations out of a string. I've then created a tool, which for these locations, finds their latitude/longitude on a map and populates that in the response. However, I cannot get the language model session to see/use my tool. I have code like this passing the tool to my prompt: class Parser { func populate(locations: String, latitude: Double, longitude: Double) async { let findLatLonTool = FindLatLonTool(latitude: latitude, longitude: longitude) let session = LanguageModelSession(tools: [findLatLonTool]) { """ A prompt that populates a model with a list of locations. """ """ Use the findLatLon tool to populate the latitude and longitude for the name of each location. """ } let stream = session.streamResponse(to: "Parse these locations: \(locations)", generating: ParsedLocations.self) let locationsModel = LocationsModels(); do { for try await partialParsedLocations in stream { locationsModel.parsedLocations = partialParsedLocations.content } } catch { print("Error parsing") } } } And then the tool that looks something like this: import Foundation import FoundationModels import MapKit struct FindLatLonTool: Tool { typealias Output = GeneratedContent let name = "findLatLon" let description = "Find the latitude / longitude of a location for a place name." let latitude: Double let longitude: Double @Generable struct Arguments { @Guide(description: "This is the location name to look up.") let locationName: String } func call(arguments: Arguments) async throws -> GeneratedContent { let request = MKLocalSearch.Request() request.naturalLanguageQuery = arguments.locationName request.region = MKCoordinateRegion( center: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: latitude, longitude: longitude), latitudinalMeters: 1_000_000, longitudinalMeters: 1_000_000 ) let search = MKLocalSearch(request: request) let coordinate = try await search.start().mapItems.first?.location.coordinate if let coordinate = coordinate { return GeneratedContent( LatLonModel(latitude: coordinate.latitude, longitude: coordinate.longitude) ) } return GeneratedContent("Location was not found - no latitude / longitude is available.") } } But trying a bunch of different prompts has not triggered the tool - instead, what appear to be totally random locations are filled in my resulting model and at no point does a breakpoint hit my tool code. Has anybody successfully gotten a tool to be called?
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Aug ’25
Can not use Language Model in Xcode-beta
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?
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Jun ’25
Foundation Models / Playgrounds Hello World - Help!
I am using Foundation Models for the first time and no response is being provided to me. Code import Playgrounds import FoundationModels #Playground { let session = LanguageModelSession() let result = try await session.respond(to: "List all the states in the USA") print(result.content) } Canvas Output What I did New file Code Canvas refreshes but nothing happens Am I missing a step or setup here? Please help. Something so basic is not working I do not know what to do. Running 40GPU, 16CPU MacBook Pro.. IOS26/Xcodebeta2/Tahoe allocated 8CPU, 48GB memory in Parallels VM. Settings for Playgrounds in Xcode Thank you for your help in advance.
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Jul ’25
Is it possible to read japanese tategaki with vision framework
We are building an app which can reads texts. It can read english and Japanese normal texts successfully. But in some cases, we need to read Japanese tategaki (vertically aligned texts). But in that times, the same code gives no output. So, is there any need to change any configuration to read Japanese tategaki? Or is it really possible to read Japanese tategaki using vision framework? lazy var detectTextRequest = VNRecognizeTextRequest { request, error in self.resStr="\n" self.words = [:] // Get OCR result guard let res = request.results as? [VNRecognizedTextObservation] else { return } // separate the words by space let text = res.compactMap({$0.topCandidates(1).first?.string}).joined(separator: " ") var n = 0 self.wordArr=[[]] self.xs = 1 self.ys = 1 var hs = 0.0 // To compare the heights of the words // To get the original axis (top most word's axis), only once for r in res { var word = r.topCandidates(1).first?.string self.words[word ?? ""] = [r.topLeft.x, r.topLeft.y] if(self.cartLabelType == 1){ if(word?.components(separatedBy: CharacterSet(charactersIn: "//")).count ?? 0>2){ self.xs = r.topLeft.x self.ys = r.topLeft.y } } } } }
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Jan ’25
Overly strict foundation model rate limit when used in app extension
I am calling into an app extension from a Safari Web Extension (sendNativeMessage, which in turn results in a call to NSExtensionRequestHandling’s beginRequest). My Safari extension aims to make use of the new foundation models for some of the features it provides. In my testing, I hit the rate limit by sending 4 requests, waiting 30 seconds between each. This makes the FoundationModels framework (which would otherwise serve my use case perfectly well) unusable in this context, because the model is called in response to user input, and this rate of user input is perfectly plausible in a real world scenario. The error thrown as a result of the rate limit is “Safety guardrail was triggered after consecutive failures during streaming.", but looking at the system logs in Console.app shows the rate limit as the real culprit. My suggestions: Please introduce sensible rate limits for app extensions, through an entitlement if need be. If it is rate limited to 1 request per every couple of seconds, that would already fix the issue for me. Please document the rate limit. Please make the thrown error reflect that it is the result of a rate limit and not a generic guardrail violation. IMPORTANT: please indicate in the thrown error when it is safe to try again. Filed a feedback here: FB18332004
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Jun ’25
CreateML
I'm trying to use the Spatial model to perform Object Tracking on a .usdz file that I create. After loading the file, which I can view correctly in the console, I start the training. Initially, I notice that the disk usage on my PC increases. After several GB, the usage stops, but the training progress remains for hours at 0.00% with the message "About 8hr." How can I understand what the issue is? Has anyone else experienced the same problem? Thanks Diego
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Jan ’25
What is the proper way to integrate a CoreML app into Xcode
Hi, I have been trying to integrate a CoreML model into Xcode. The model was made using tensorflow layers. I have included both the model info and a link to the app repository. I am mainly just really confused on why its not working. It seems to only be printing the result for case 1 (there are 4 cases labled, case 0, case 1, case 2, and case 3). If someone could help work me through this error that would be great! here is the link to the repository: https://github.com/ShivenKhurana1/Detect-to-Protect-App this file with the model code is called SecondView.swift and here is the model info: Input: conv2d_input-> image (color 224x224) Output: Identity -> MultiArray (Float32 1x4)
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Apr ’25
Is MCP (Model Context Protocol) supported on iOS/macOS?
Hi team, I’m exploring the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which is used to connect LLMs/AI agents to external tools in a structured way. It's becoming a common standard for automation and agent workflows. Before I go deeper, I want to confirm: Does Apple currently provide any official MCP server, API surface, or SDK on iOS/macOS? From what I see, only third-party MCP servers exist for iOS simulators/devices, and Apple’s own frameworks (Foundation Models, Apple Intelligence) don’t expose MCP endpoints. Is there any chance Apple might introduce MCP support—or publish recommended patterns for safely integrating MCP inside apps or developer tools? I would like to see if I can share my app's data to the MCP server to enable other third-party apps/services to integrate easily
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Problem running NLContextualEmbeddingModel in simulator
Environment MacOC 26 Xcode Version 26.0 beta 7 (17A5305k) simulator: iPhone 16 pro iOS: iOS 26 Problem NLContextualEmbedding.load() fails with the following error In simulator Failed to load embedding from MIL representation: filesystem error: in create_directories: Permission denied ["/var/db/com.apple.naturallanguaged/com.apple.e5rt.e5bundlecache"] filesystem error: in create_directories: Permission denied ["/var/db/com.apple.naturallanguaged/com.apple.e5rt.e5bundlecache"] Failed to load embedding model 'mul_Latn' - '5C45D94E-BAB4-4927-94B6-8B5745C46289' assetRequestFailed(Optional(Error Domain=NLNaturalLanguageErrorDomain Code=7 "Embedding model requires compilation" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Embedding model requires compilation})) in #Playground I'm new to this embedding model. Not sure if it's caused by my code or environment. Code snippet import Foundation import NaturalLanguage import Playgrounds #Playground { // Prefer initializing by script for broader coverage; returns NLContextualEmbedding? guard let embeddingModel = NLContextualEmbedding(script: .latin) else { print("Failed to create NLContextualEmbedding") return } print(embeddingModel.hasAvailableAssets) do { try embeddingModel.load() print("Model loaded") } catch { print("Failed to load model: \(error)") } }
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Foundation Models flags 'Six Flags Great America' as unsafe
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.
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Jul ’25