Stewart Lynch News
​2026 - 17

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​https://stewartlynch.kit.com/

Latest Videos

The system 27 videos are coming fast and furious now.

Device Hub Explained - What Every Apple Developer Should Know

Device Hub in Xcode 27 is far more than a visual refresh of Simulator. It brings simulated devices, physical devices, configuration controls, app management, and diagnostics into one workspace. This video walks through how Device Hub replaces and consolidates familiar Simulator functionality, while introducing a compact mode for everyday build-and-run work and an expanded mode for deeper testing and device management.

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Vibe Coding a macOS App in Xcode 27 | Build a JSON Formatter from Scratch

Vibe coding can be far more than handing an agent a vague request and hoping for the best. In this video, I demonstrate a more deliberate approach in Xcode 27. Using a coding agent as a development partner you retain control over the direction, scope, and verification of every change. Starting with a blank macOS App project, we build a practical JSON Formatter that accepts pasted JSON, opened files, and drag-and-drop input, then validates and pretty-prints the result or reports errors.

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What's Next?

Next week, I will be releasing a video and a supporting blog post concurrently.

Create, sign, notarize, staple, verify and distribute a DMG

Learn how to prepare a macOS application for professional distribution outside the Mac App Store.

In this tutorial, I use the JSON Formatter app created in the previous video, but you can follow the same process with your own macOS application. We’ll archive and export the app from Xcode 27, verify its signature, create a customized DMG installer, and add a background image with an Applications folder shortcut.

You’ll then learn how to configure your Terminal session, create and store notarization credentials in Keychain, locate the correct Developer ID Application certificate, and sign, notarize, staple, and validate the finished DMG.

Finally, we’ll publish the DMG as a GitHub release and add a permanent download link to the repository’s README that always points to the latest version.

By the end of the video, you’ll have a polished, signed, notarized, and Gatekeeper-approved DMG that users can safely download and install without using the Mac App Store.

Mac App Direct Distribution, DMG Signing & Notarization Guide

This blog post is the guide that I use in the video. If you don't like watching videos, then you should be able to read the blog post and follow along to achieve the same results. The only piece missing from the video is the GitHub release.

AsyncImage Caching in iOS 27: Everything You Need to Know

The following week, September 6, I begin the first of my deep dive videos into what is new and what has changed in iOS and macOS 27.
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AsyncImage receives a meaningful upgrade in iOS 27:. Automatic image caching now works without the custom cache implementation or third-party library that developers previously needed. This video demonstrates the difference with a SwiftUI dog-breed image browser running under a deliberately poor network connection. On iOS 26, returning to a previously viewed breed requires images to download again. On iOS 27, simply compiling in Xcode 27 and running on an iOS 27 device or simulator allows previously loaded images to appear immediately from the cache with no project code changes required for that baseline behaviour.

The video goes beyond the automatic behaviour by showing how to create a dedicated URLCache and URLSession specifically for AsyncImage traffic. Keeping image requests separate from the JSON requests used to load breed data makes it possible to inspect image-cache activity independently. You’ll see how to configure memory and disk capacities, attach the custom session to a SwiftUI hierarchy with the new AsyncImage URL session modifier, and avoid passing that session manually through every image-cell initializer. The result is a focused, reusable setup for controlling and observing image storage.

Videos that connect with my audience.

In my last newsletter, I wrote about some potential changes to how I deliver my content, including the possibility of moving to bi-weekly videos and newsletters. That is still my plan, likely beginning later this year or in early 2027. In the meantime, I thought I would do a little digging into which videos are connecting most with my audience.

Since I began covering the changes introduced following WWDC 2026, every video has received more than 1,000 views in its first week, with some reaching that number on the very first day. I know that may not sound like much compared with some of the larger YouTube channels, but for a coding channel focused on a very specific language and ecosystem, I am quite pleased with those numbers.

The number of creators in the Swift and SwiftUI community who are still producing videos consistently is getting smaller, but I am proud to say that I am still here and holding my own. Some channels get more views than mine and some get fewer. I am happy with where I fit, particularly after more than six years of producing content.

I could focus exclusively on the types of videos that attract the most views, and I probably would if my primary goal were simply to grow my audience. But that has never been my only goal.

I want my YouTube channel to be one of the most comprehensive resources available for Swift and SwiftUI developers. That means sometimes covering niche topics that may not attract a large audience immediately, but could be exactly what someone is searching for months or even years later.

The challenge is discoverability. Once a video has been published and the initial burst of views has passed, it can quickly disappear beneath hundreds of newer videos. With such a large back catalogue, there is a good chance that I have already covered a topic you are interested in, but finding that video isn’t always easy.

That is one of the reasons I created my YouTube Channel Listing App, which is completely free to download: https://stewartlynch.gumroad.com/l/obsjz​

The app lets you search my entire video catalogue not only by title, but also by description and tags. You can also keep track of the videos you have already watched and mark others that you want to come back to later.

I have also updated my website: https://www.createchsol.com/​

It now includes a complete listing of my YouTube videos with similar search capabilities. Whether you prefer using the app or simply visiting the website, my hope is that these tools make it much easier to discover videos from my back catalogue that are still relevant today.

If you know other Swift or SwiftUI developers who might find these resources useful, please spread the word about the app, the website, and the channel. The more developers who can find the content they need, the more worthwhile it is for me to continue building this resource.

And just for interest, below is a list of the 10 most-viewed videos on my YouTube channel.

It isn’t surprising that some of them date all the way back to 2020, giving them plenty of time to accumulate views. However, many were popular right from the time they were first published. What I find particularly interesting is just how diverse the topics are.

Here are the top 10:

If you enjoy what I do and want to support my work, you can join my Ko-fi community and either make a one-time donation or become a monthly supporter for as little as $5/month. Monthly supporters get early access to my videos as soon as they’re uploaded to YouTube (as unlisted videos), sometimes up to a month before they’re made public. Monthly supporters also get priority responses to their questions, and I’m happy to help with coding challenges.

In addition to PayPal, Ko-fi now supports Stripe, which makes it easier to pay by credit card.
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My Other Stuff

Channel Listing App

A Searchable Mac app containing a list of all of my YouTube videos including the ability to watch them in the app and download starter and completed source code

Free on Gumroad

SymbolBrowser App

Browse Apple's complete SF Symbols library from your menu bar. Search, preview effects, customize colors, generate SwiftUI/UIKit/AppKit code, and copy symbols as images — all without leaving your workflow.
Available on Gumroad: (Pay what you want)

GitHub Directory Downloader for Mac

This simple app lets you download any specific directory from any GitHub repository—whether it's public or private. Just copy the folder URL, paste it into the app, and download exactly what you need. It remembers your download locations, keeps a history of what you've grabbed, and even supports branch selection. Perfect for developers who want quick access to starter projects, code examples, or specific folders without the hassle of cloning entire repositories.
Available on Gumroad: (Pay what you want)

Smile4Me Course

The course is now Free to download from: https://stewartlynch.github.io/Smile4Me-Course-Content/​

Affiliate Links

BigMountain Studio Books 

Mark Moeykens is a master at creating SwiftUI reference books. I have purchased every one of these books and refer to them all the time.

Use this link and we both will benefit

​https://www.bigmountainstudio.com/a/77jt8​