Apple just removed the vibe coding app “Anything” from the App Store, marking its most aggressive move yet against AI-powered app-building tools. The Information first reported the escalation, which comes just two weeks after Apple started blocking updates for similar apps like Replit and Vibecode.
The removal targets Rule 2.5.2 of Apple’s App Review Guidelines, which restricts apps from running code that can change how they or other apps function. Anything’s developer, Amin, tried to comply by submitting an update that would preview vibe-coded apps in a web browser instead of natively. Apple blocked the update anyway and pulled the entire app.
What Is Vibe Coding?
Vibe coding lets people with little to no programming experience build apps or websites using natural language prompts. You describe what you want, an AI writes the code, and you get a working app. Tools like Replit, Vibecode, and Anything brought this capability to iPhones, letting users create and run apps directly on their devices.
That’s exactly what Apple doesn’t like.
Why Apple Is Cracking Down
Apple’s concern is straightforward: vibe coding apps can generate and execute code that hasn’t been reviewed by Apple. This creates a backdoor around the App Store review process, which Apple considers a core part of its security and quality model.
Apple seems fine with apps that help users build other apps for external platforms. The problem starts when those apps can change their own behavior or create new app-like experiences on Apple devices without going through review.
This is a significant distinction. It means Apple isn’t anti-AI or anti-coding tools. It’s anti-unreviewed code execution on its platform.
The Broader Impact
The crackdown isn’t limited to Anything:
- Replit had updates blocked earlier in March, reportedly for similar Rule 2.5.2 violations
- Vibecode faced the same treatment
- Both companies are reportedly in talks with Apple, agreeing to modify how their apps preview generated content or remove the ability to create apps for Apple platforms entirely
Sources familiar with the situation say Apple may be close to approving updates for Replit and Vibecode, but only after significant concessions.
What This Means for the Industry
Vibe coding has been one of 2026’s biggest trends. Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator founders, and countless indie developers have championed it as the democratization of software development. Apple’s crackdown puts a hard ceiling on how far that democratization goes on iOS.
For developers building vibe coding tools, the message is clear: web-based delivery is safe, but native iOS execution is off-limits unless you can satisfy Apple’s review requirements. That’s a real constraint for mobile-first tools trying to offer an instant, frictionless “describe it and run it” experience.
For the broader AI tooling ecosystem, this is a preview of platform-level pushback. As AI-generated code becomes more common, expect similar tensions on other platforms. Google hasn’t made comparable moves on Android yet, but the question of unreviewed AI-generated code running on devices isn’t going away.
Apple’s position will likely evolve. But right now, if you’re building a vibe coding tool for iOS, your options are to negotiate directly with Apple, move execution to the web, or stay out of the App Store entirely.
More details are available in the original report from The Information.