Apple begins testing early Model Context Protocol (MCP) support in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS

Apple has begun adding early MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration in the developer betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1. Code in these releases shows that MCP support is being built into the App Intents framework, which already powers Siri, Spotlight, widgets, Apple Shortcuts, hardware actions, and Focus.

This would allow developers to expose their app’s actions to AI models at the system level, meaning agents like ChatGPT or Claude could trigger and interact with apps on Mac, iPhone, and iPad without requiring custom implementations. For users, this could translate into AI assistants autonomously handling tasks such as executing app features, managing workflows, or combining data across apps.

The support is still in its early stages and not yet available to users, but it indicates Apple is preparing to enable direct AI-to-app interaction across its ecosystem, giving developers a system-level pathway for AI integrations without requiring custom implementations.