‘Anything’ and vibe coding pulled
Apple removed the vibe‑coding app 'Anything' under App Store Guideline 2.5.2 even after fixes, highlighting Apple’s concern about apps that generate unreviewed executable code on devices (x.com) (x.com). CNET reports this pattern more broadly — Apple says it can’t safely review apps that create code for users, which is why several vibe‑coding tools are now in limbo (cnet.com).
Apple approved a whole category of artificial intelligence app builders, then started pulling them after they were already live. One of the clearest examples is Anything, which was removed under App Store rule 2.5.2 after Apple said the app could generate code that Apple had never reviewed. (cnet.com) Vibe coding is the idea that you describe an app in plain English and a model writes the software for you. CNET described it in December 2025 as turning software development into a conversation instead of a traditional coding session. (cnet.com) Apple’s problem is not the chat box. Apple’s problem is the moment an iPhone app starts downloading or running new instructions after review, because Guideline 2.5.2 says apps must be self-contained and may not download, install, or execute code. (developer.apple.com) That rule exists because App Review checks the version Apple receives, not every version a user might generate later on their own phone. Apple says its review process is meant to provide a “safe and trusted experience,” which breaks down if an approved shell can create brand-new behavior after approval. (developer.apple.com 1) (developer.apple.com 2) CNET reported on April 9, 2026 that three vibe-coding apps had been removed or blocked in roughly a month. The article said Apple’s position was simple: it cannot safely review apps that create unreviewed code for users. (cnet.com) The tricky part is that these apps do not look dangerous in the usual way. They often feel like a document editor or a website builder, but the finished product can behave more like a mini app factory running inside another app. (cnet.com) That is why developers keep running into the same rejection language. Apple has told developers in forum posts that software with the capability to change an app’s behavior after review can violate Guideline 2.5.2, especially when remote resources are involved. (developer.apple.com 1) (developer.apple.com 2) Developers tried obvious fixes. According to the reporting around Anything, the team changed parts of the product and still got removed, which suggests Apple is targeting the basic workflow, not one small bug or one badly named feature. (cnet.com) (macrumors.com) Apple’s own guidelines leave one escape hatch in plain sight: if the App Store model does not fit your product, Apple points developers to the open web through Safari. That means some vibe-coding tools may keep working as browser products even if their native iPhone apps stay in review limbo. (developer.apple.com) So this fight is really about where software gets to be born. Apple is comfortable reviewing finished apps one by one, but vibe-coding tools try to let each user generate a new app on demand, and that turns every approved client into a moving target. (cnet.com)
