Xcode 27.2 adds a JSON project format for easier editing and merges

Apple’s new project format is easier to read and review, and it changes how teams need to handle existing Xcode projects.

Apple has shipped a JSON-based Xcode project configuration format in Xcode 27.2, giving teams a more readable representation that is easier for tools and AI agents to inspect and edit. The open source xcode-project-format is meant to cut down on merge conflicts and make repository diffs line up more closely with changes made in Xcode. Apple also released a Swift package for encoding and decoding the format, and the schema covers targets, the file tree, build configurations, build settings, external dependencies, and cross-subtree relationships. Existing projects can be converted without changing the underlying model, but the switch replaces project.pbxproj with project.xcproj and Apple says teams should first check that tools such as fastlane, CocoaPods, and Tuist support it.