To find the iOS SDK recorded for an existing app, inspect the Mach-O build metadata in its executable and read the sdk value. The minimum iOS version is a separate value, and neither it nor the app’s bundle version identifies the SDK. The SDK can help narrow down the Xcode release, but it does not by itself prove which exact Xcode version built the app.
Check the SDK recorded in an app or IPA
You need the app’s .app bundle, either directly or extracted from an .ipa. The bundle’s main executable contains the most useful artifact-level evidence: its Mach-O load commands may record the SDK and build-tool information.
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- Get the app bundle. If you have an IPA, unpack it and locate the app’s
.appdirectory. - Read the processed property list. On macOS, run
plutil -p path/to/App.app/Info.plist. Note the value ofCFBundleExecutableso you can identify the executable to inspect. - Inspect that executable’s build metadata. Run
otool -l path/to/App.app/AppNameand look for anLC_BUILD_VERSIONcommand and itssdkfield. Where available,vtool -show-build path/to/App.app/AppNamecan display build-version information as well. If the binary uses an older load command, look forLC_VERSION_MIN_*; its legacyversionvalue is a minimum-OS value, not an SDK value. - Check components separately. If the package includes extensions or embedded frameworks, inspect their executables individually. They can have different build histories or settings from the main app.
Tool output and available load commands can vary with the binary and installed developer tools. The vtool load-command description available at the vtool manual page mirror is not a current Apple Developer page; if command syntax differs on your Mac, check the local man page or help for the installed tool. If the executable has no useful or unambiguous metadata, report that rather than inferring an SDK from the app’s minimum iOS version.
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| Value | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
Mach-O sdk |
The SDK version recorded in that executable. | It does not necessarily identify one unique Xcode release. |
Mach-O minos or legacy version; plist MinimumOSVersion |
The minimum operating-system version required by the app or component. | The SDK used to compile it. |
CFBundleShortVersionString |
The user-facing app version. | The SDK or Xcode version. |
CFBundleVersion |
The bundle’s build iteration identifier. | A compiler or Xcode identifier. |
| Current resolved Xcode build settings | Effective settings for the selected project, target, configuration, and SDK now. | Proof of the settings used to produce an older distributed binary. |
Apple documents MinimumOSVersion as the minimum OS version required by the app; it is associated with the deployment target, not the SDK chosen to build it. Apple’s CFBundleVersion documentation likewise defines that field as the bundle’s build version identifier.
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Find build settings when you have the project or archive
For a build you can reproduce, Xcode’s effective or Resolved build settings are more useful than a value viewed in isolation. Build settings can be inherited or overridden at the project, target, configuration-file, and system-default levels. Select the relevant target, configuration, and SDK so you are looking at the values that apply to that build context. Apple explains this inheritance and resolution in its build-settings documentation.
For command-line builds, select the relevant Xcode developer directory and use xcodebuild. Preserve the archive and build log alongside the result bundle; xcresulttool can inspect result bundles. Apple’s references for Xcode command-line tools and xcresulttool describe these tools. Evidence saved with the particular archive or build is stronger provenance than today’s project settings, which may have changed since the app was produced.
For an uploaded build, App Store Connect’s Build Metadata page shows device requirements, including the minimum iOS version. That can help confirm deployment compatibility, but the documented metadata does not state the SDK or exact Xcode release.
Can the SDK tell you the exact Xcode version?
Not reliably on its own. An SDK value narrows the possible toolchain, and Apple’s Xcode and SDK compatibility table can show which SDKs are included in listed Xcode releases. But an SDK-to-Xcode match is not build-specific proof that a particular release produced a given binary. For an exact answer, look for provenance attached to the build—such as its archive, build log, or other retained build records. If those are unavailable, state the SDK recorded in the executable and treat the exact Xcode release as unconfirmed.
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Compare the right binary and platform
A package may contain more than one executable, and a simulator build or another Apple-platform component should not be mistaken for the iOS device app. When comparing builds or components, record the platform, component, SDK field, minimum-OS field, and associated archive or build provenance. This avoids treating metadata from an extension or framework as though it necessarily described the whole app.
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