Xcode Cloud is a new continuous integration and cloud delivery service by Apple which will be included in Xcode 13. It is now available as a limited beta; it will expand to all developers in the near future. The new service will allow developers to build apps on the cloud and run tests in parallel as well.
Apple developers will be able to use built-in workflows using Xcode Cloud and even create customized workflows for their unique needs/development processes. As soon as a change is made in the development project, the changes are committed to the cloud project and a build is generated completely on the cloud.
Easier testing and automated tests
If any issues are found in the app builds, developers are alerted automatically – removing the need for bug hunting. At the same time, automated tests are also run in the background to improve efficiency. Developers can set Xcode Cloud to automatically distribute their app to testers after it passes all the tests. Also, the app can be set to automatically be pushed to TestFlight beta testers of an app.
Developers can set their app to be tested on a set of devices – different iPhone, iPad, Mac models and other Apple devices. Xcode Cloud allows developers to set various different device configurations for test purposes. The results of the tests are displayed directly in the Xcode environment.
According to Apple, Xcode Cloud is a completely secure development service. The source code of a project will reportedly be only stored in a temporary environment – it is destroyed after build completion. All of the data on Xcode Cloud will be encrypted to make it difficult for the data to be stolen. Also, all the projects will be protected using two-factor authentication, making it even harder for bad players to gain access to projects on the cloud.