The Foundation Models framework arrives as a native Swift API for macOS 27, giving developers direct access to large language models on-device and through Private Cloud Compute, Apple Developer reported.
Developers enrolled in the App Store Small Business Program with fewer than two million first-time downloads can access Apple Foundation Models on Private Cloud Compute with no cloud API cost, according to Apple Developer.
Multimodal prompts let apps pass images alongside text for visual reasoning, while the integrated Vision framework provides tools like OCR for text extraction and barcode readers for code scanning.
The framework extends beyond local hardware to server models such as Claude and Gemini via the same Swift API, supporting tool calling and guided generation through the Language Model protocol.
Dynamic Profiles act as declarative APIs to continuously update session configurations, letting developers swap between models, temperatures, reasoning levels, and toolsets within a single continuous session.
The Evaluations framework allows developers to test prompts and validate intelligence-powered features across dynamic conditions before shipping.
The new fm command line tool in macOS 27 streamlines scripting and automates model workflows without writing app code, while the Foundation Models framework utilities package adds experimental abstractions including custom skills and a Chat Completions client.
Acceptable Use Requirements outline prohibited uses of the models, and pursuant to Article 53(1)(b) of the AI Act, information and documentation are made available to providers of AI systems who intend to integrate AFM 3 Cloud into their systems, Apple Developer reported.
