Apple has acquired Rabbit 3 Ties, Inc, the New York-based company behind Play, a visual Swift development tool that won an Apple Design Award for Innovation in June 2025. The acquisition follows Apple's recent purchase of the Swift Package Index, suggesting the company is expanding its developer tool portfolio.

Play: Create Better Apps allowed developers to quickly mock up Swift projects and preview them in real-time, functioning as a bridge between Shortcuts and Xcode. Users could export their prototypes to Xcode through a paid service, though this became free after the acquisition. The tool specifically targeted iOS and macOS development with Swift UI code generation.

Unlike the Swift Package Index deal, which preserved the service's open-source nature, Apple appears to be asset-stripping Rabbit 3 Ties. Support for Play apps ended on April 20, 2026, and the company's website has been taken down. The firm simply stated it was "working on something new" without providing details.

Apple reported the acquisition to the European Union under the Digital Markets Act in February 2026, indicating the transaction met certain scale thresholds. This move suggests Apple may integrate Play's technology into future developer offerings, though the current app is effectively discontinued.

Apple's strategy appears focused on consolidating innovative developer tools while absorbing talent rather than maintaining standalone products.