Fix Synchronization Issues for macOS Apps Using Core Data/SwiftData

TL;DR: macOS apps using Core Data/SwiftData for synchronization must manually include CloudKit.framework in the project’s dependencies. Unlike iOS, macOS does not automatically include this framework, leading to sync failures in TestFlight or release versions. Add CloudKit.framework in “Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content,” rebuild the app, and verify functionality in release environments to resolve the issue.

Background

Core Data and SwiftData offer robust CloudKit-based data synchronization capabilities, widely used in iOS and macOS applications supporting multi-device sync. However, many developers encounter issues with synchronization functionality not working properly on macOS when extending iOS apps with sync support to the macOS platform.

This article analyzes the root cause of this issue and provides a detailed solution.

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