Apple won't let me show my app
An independent developer discusses the challenges of getting apps approved by Apple's App Store, citing increased review times due to a surge in AI-generated 'vibe coded' applications. The author expresses frustration with the opaque and automated nature of the rejection process.
Why it matters
It reflects the growing tension between Apple's strict quality control and the rapid influx of software created by AI-assisted development tools.
Writing code is the #1 usage of LLMs right now. In the future that will likely change to automation (powering agents’ thinking as they work on tasks), but for today, the explosion of vibe coding has had a real effect on Apple.
The App Store is seeing a deluge of vibe coded apps being submitted each day.
For the first time in its history, non-game apps have overtaken games as the #1 revenue source on the App Store. Probably because CRUD apps are easier to turn out than games.
This has almost certainly created immense pressure for the app review team, who in general do a great job of keeping app quality high.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in