Vibe‑coding Apps Removed

Apple has been blocking updates to some iPhone “vibe-coding” apps and removing at least one from the App Store under rule 2.5.2, a long-standing ban on apps that download or run unreviewed code. (developer.apple.com; techcrunch.com) The apps at the center of the fight include Replit, Vibecode, and Anything. Reports published on March 18 and April 14, 2026, said Replit and Vibecode had updates blocked, while Anything was removed on March 26 and later briefly restored before being pulled again. (macrumors.com; techcrunch.com) Apple’s guideline says apps must be “self-contained” and may not “download, install or execute code” that changes features or functionality after review. Apple has also said there is no special rule against vibe coding itself, and that the issue is whether an app can deliver software Apple did not review. (developer.apple.com; cnet.com; macrumors.com) Vibe coding is the practice of describing an app or website in plain English and letting an artificial intelligence model generate the code. On a phone, that can blur into Apple’s review system if the app is not just showing text, but producing runnable software or previews that behave like new apps. (cnet.com; macrumors.com) Anything co-founder Dhruv Amin told TechCrunch that Apple had blocked updates to his app since December 2025, removed it on March 26, 2026, restored it on April 3, and then removed it again after saying it could not market itself as an app maker. Apple told the company, according to screenshots Amin shared, that the app advertised native iPhone app creation and one-tap App Store submissions. (techcrunch.com) Developers have started changing how these products are described and what they do on iPhone. CNET reported that Vibecode dropped “app” language from its App Store listing after a March 18 update and shifted its pitch toward building websites and learning. (cnet.com) Apple’s security argument is not new. In older developer-forum messages about the same rule, App Review warned that code tied to remote resources could let an app change behavior after approval and could be hijacked in a man-in-the-middle attack. (developer.apple.com) Apple has also pointed developers to other paths outside the main App Store. Its review guidelines say developers in the European Union can distribute notarized iPhone and iPad apps through alternative marketplaces or directly from their websites, and developers in Japan can use alternative marketplaces. (developer.apple.com) For now, the practical line on iPhone is narrow: teach code, show code, or build for the web, and Apple may allow it; generate software that changes what the app can do after review, and 2.5.2 is still the rule that decides. (developer.apple.com; cnet.com)