Core Data

Persist or cache your app's data on one device, or sync it across devices with CloudKit.

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Introduced

2005

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger

Kind

Framework

Runs on

Get it from

iOS

3.0+

iPadOS

3.0+

Mac Catalyst

13.0+

macOS

10.4+

tvOS

9.0+

visionOS

1.0+

watchOS

2.0+

Overview

Core Data manages an app's model layer. You describe types and relationships in Xcode's Data Model editor, and Core Data maps those objects to a persistent store. It also tracks changes for undo and redo, runs work in background contexts and migrates data as the model evolves. NSPersistentContainer sets up the whole stack, and NSPersistentCloudKitContainer mirrors stores to a CloudKit private database.

SwiftData, introduced in 2023, combines Core Data's persistence technology with a Swift-native, macro-based API. Its default store uses Core Data underneath, and both frameworks can share one store, so an existing app can adopt SwiftData step by step.

Object persistence

Save and fetch model objects without administering a database directly.

Undo and redo

Roll back changes individually, in groups or all at once.

CloudKit mirroring

Mirror a local store to a CloudKit database to sync across devices.

Model migration

Lightweight, staged and manual migrations keep stores in step with the model.

TripListView.swift

import CoreData
import SwiftUI

struct TripListView: View {
    @FetchRequest(sortDescriptors: [SortDescriptor(\.startDate, order: .reverse)])
    private var trips: FetchedResults<Trip>

    var body: some View {
        List(trips) { trip in
            Text(trip.name ?? "Untitled")
        }
    }
}

History