Developers warn: influx of apps created using vibecoding is slowing down the App Store review process
Artificial intelligence makes it easier to create apps, but getting them on the App Store can take longer.
Artificial intelligence makes it easier to create apps, but getting them on the App Store can take longer.
According to data from analytics company Sensor Tower, after the mass introduction of agent programming in 2025, the Apple App Store will see a rapid influx of new applications every month, Business Insider writes .
The number of iOS app releases in the US increased by 54.8% year-over-year in January, and in December, the figure reached a four-year high of 56%.
While apps created using vibecoding are currently experiencing a surge in popularity, not all developers are happy with their presence on the App Store. One developer, as well as a whole Reddit thread, are noting a significant increase in wait times for Apple approval.
James Steinberg, a 35-year-old vibecoder from New York, says he thinks the App Store is “overwhelmed with people like me submitting tons of apps.” He’s been waiting about six weeks for his app to be published, and notes that it now takes anywhere from two days to a week for updates to be reviewed.
Apple said that while review times have increased in some cases, 90% of all requests are reviewed within 48 hours. The company said that over the past 12 weeks, it has processed more than 200,000 requests per week, with an average moderation time of 1.5 days.
Some Reddit users have expressed concerns that the moderation process could become stricter to prevent apps created using vibecoding and low-quality “AI garbage” from reaching consumers.
Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee said he expects Apple to be extremely careful when approving apps for the App Store. He said the stricter process may be frustrating for developers, but it will minimize the amount of AI junk on the platform. But the company will soon have to find a longer-term solution.
“This is not a problem that Apple can solve by simply rejecting applications. As AI accelerates app creation, the company will have to evolve from ‘artisanal oversight’ to industrial-scale curation,” Chatterjee said.
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