The latest Xcode beta contains clear signs that Apple plans to bring Anthropic's Claude and Opus large language models into the integrated development environment (IDE), expanding on features already available using Apple's own models or OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Apple enthusiast publication 9to5Mac "found multiple references to built-in support for Anthropic accounts," including in the "Intelligence" menu, where users can currently log into ChatGPT or enter an API key for higher message limits.
Apple introduced a suite of features meant to compete with GitHub Copilot in Xcode at WWDC24, but first focused on its own models and a more limited set of use cases. That expanded quite a bit at this year's developer conference, and users can converse about codebases, discuss changes, or ask for suggestions using ChatGPT. They are initially given a limited set of messages, but this can be greatly increased by logging into a ChatGPT account or entering an API key.
This summer, Apple said it would be possible to use Anthropic's models with an API key, too, but made no mention of support for Anthropic accounts, which are generally more cost-effective than using the API for most users.
Now, with 9to5Mac's discovery, it appears that Xcode 26 will ultimately allow users to log in to use Anthropic's models as well.
Claude has proven to be one of the most popular models for developers, thanks in part to a wide context window and models more fine-tuned for the task, as Anthropic has a B2B, developer-oriented strategy compared to OpenAI's everything-for-everybody strategy. The release of GPT-5 poses a major challenge for Anthropic, though, as it both significantly improves ChatGPT's coding capabilities while also coming at a much lower cost. Anthropic is likely to answer that with future model updates that aim for greater efficiency.
This news is also relevant for the wider Apple ecosystem, not just developers, as it's the first clear example of Apple working on support for a third-party model besides those offered by OpenAI. The company's executives have often said they planned to do that in the future in Xcode and in Siri, but until now, we haven't seen much beyond statements of intent.
Xcode 26 is expected to launch alongside the new version of macOS later this year. It's unclear whether this Anthropic account support will come with the initial release or an update further down the line in this annual cycle.
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