Apple Kills Vibe Coding: $100M App Pulled From the App Store
Apple just pulled "Anything" — a $100 million vibe coding app — from the App Store. It's not the first casualty. Replit and Vibecode have been blocked from releasing updates since December. Apple is sending a clear message: if your app makes other apps, we have a problem.
This is the biggest shift in App Store policy since the Epic Games battle, and it affects every developer building with AI.
What Happened
On March 26, 2026, Apple removed "Anything" from the App Store, citing Guideline 2.5.2 — the rule that says apps can't "download, install, or execute code which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app."
Here's the timeline:
- November 2025 — Anything launches on iOS with no issues. Users start building and publishing thousands of apps.
- September 2025 — Anything raises $11 million at a $100 million valuation.
- December 2025 — Apple quietly blocks Anything's updates. Also blocks Replit and Vibecode.
- March 18, 2026 — Apple confirms it's enforcing Guideline 2.5.2 against vibe coding apps. Says there's no specific rule against vibe coding, but apps must follow existing guidelines.
- March 26, 2026 — Anything is fully removed from the App Store.
Anything's co-founder Dhruv Amin tried to comply — he submitted an update that would open generated apps in a web browser instead of inside the app. Apple blocked the update and pulled the app anyway.
What Is Vibe Coding?
"Vibe coding" is a term coined in early 2025 for the practice of building software using natural language prompts instead of writing code. You describe what you want in plain English, and AI generates the code for you.
Tools like Replit, Vibecode, Anything, Bolt, and Lovable have made it possible for non-programmers to build real, functional apps. The barrier to entry for software development dropped to zero overnight.
And that's exactly what Apple is worried about.
Why Apple Is Cracking Down
Apple's official position is simple: these apps violate Guideline 2.5.2 because they execute dynamically generated code. But there's more to it than rule enforcement.
1. App Store Quality Control
Vibe coding apps have caused a surge in App Store submissions. When anyone can build an app in 5 minutes, the floodgates open. Apple's review team — already stretched thin — is drowning in AI-generated submissions. Many of these apps are low-quality clones, spam, or barely functional.
2. The App-Within-an-App Problem
When Anything lets you build and preview an app inside its own app, it's essentially running an app store within the App Store. Apple has always been hostile to this concept — it's the same reason they fought with Epic Games over Fortnite's in-app store.
3. Revenue Protection
If users can build and distribute apps through Anything without going through Apple's standard submission process, Apple loses its 30% cut. Even if the apps eventually get submitted to the App Store, the development and testing happens outside Apple's ecosystem.
4. Security Concerns
Dynamically generated and executed code is a legitimate security risk. Apple's sandboxing model depends on knowing what code an app will run before it runs. Vibe coding apps break this assumption fundamentally.
Who's Affected
| App | Status | Valuation/Funding | What Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anything | ❌ Removed | $100M valuation | Fully pulled from App Store on March 26 |
| Replit | ⚠️ Blocked | $1.16B valuation | Updates blocked since Dec 2025, fell from #1 to #3 in dev tools |
| Vibecode | ⚠️ Blocked | Undisclosed | Told to remove Apple platform targeting to get approved |
| Bolt / Lovable | ✅ Web-only | Various | Not affected — they're web apps, not iOS apps |
The irony: the apps that stayed web-first are fine. It's only the ones that tried to go native on iOS that got hit.
What This Means for Developers
The Short Term
If you're building with vibe coding tools, don't build for iOS distribution through these apps. Use web-based tools like Bolt, Lovable, or Replit's web version. Generate your code, then submit to the App Store through the traditional process.
The Bigger Picture
Apple is drawing a line: AI can help you write code, but it can't run code dynamically on iOS. This distinction matters:
- ✅ Allowed — Using ChatGPT/Claude/Copilot to generate code, then compiling and submitting normally
- ✅ Allowed — Web-based vibe coding that generates websites or web apps
- ❌ Not allowed — Apps that generate and preview/run other apps within themselves on iOS
- ⚠️ Gray area — Apps that generate code but open previews in Safari instead of in-app
For Indie Developers and Agencies
This actually creates an opportunity. If non-technical founders can no longer vibe-code their way to the App Store directly, they'll need developers again — or at least someone who can take AI-generated code, clean it up, and submit it properly.
App development agencies that offer "AI-assisted development" — combining vibe coding speed with proper App Store submission — could thrive in this new landscape.
The EU Factor
Under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple is required to allow sideloading and alternative app stores in the EU. This means vibe coding apps could potentially distribute through alternative stores in Europe, bypassing Apple's Guideline 2.5.2 entirely.
If Anything or Replit set up distribution through AltStore PAL or another EU-compliant alternative marketplace, they could continue operating — at least for European users.
What Comes Next
This isn't over. Vibe coding is a $10+ billion market that's growing exponentially. Apple can slow it down on iOS, but they can't stop the underlying trend. Expect:
- Lawsuits — A $100M company doesn't get pulled from the App Store without legal consequences. Anything will likely challenge Apple's interpretation of 2.5.2.
- Web-first pivot — More vibe coding tools will go web-only, generating Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) instead of native iOS apps.
- Apple's own move — Apple may eventually release its own vibe coding features integrated into Xcode, keeping the capability within their ecosystem.
- New guidelines — Apple will probably issue specific guidance for AI code generation apps, creating a framework rather than relying on a rule written before AI could code.
The age of "anyone can build an app" isn't over — it's just moving off the App Store. And Apple might find that by blocking vibe coding, they've only accelerated the shift to the open web.