Last year saw a rise in what’s known as “agentic coding” or vibe coding. With tools like Claude Opus 4.5, even those with no coding experience can create apps that function well. This shift has made the app-building process more accessible, but it has also created some challenges, especially for the App Store’s review system.
Many developers have started submitting these vibe-coded apps to the App Store. Meanwhile, many seasoned developers report longer wait times for their app updates. Apple uses human reviewers to evaluate each app submission. Typically, this process would be smooth, as only a limited number of apps were in the queue. But now, with the surge in new submissions, the system appears overwhelmed.
Feedback from developers, including indie creators and companies like Twitter, indicates that review times have drastically increased, sometimes exceeding three days. This is a stark contrast to the previous norm of same-day reviews.
It’s clear: vibe coding is putting pressure on the app review process.
Apple has always taken pride in its human review approach, resisting automation. But if this trend continues, they might need to rethink that. Hiring more reviewers could help, but it’s uncertain given that many new apps are low revenue. Some short-term options might include:
- Keeping human reviews for new apps while automating updates.
- Creating a separate review queue for established developers to speed up the process.
Currently, Apple has a request form for expedited reviews, but it’s mainly for critical updates, not general impatience. Established developers shouldn’t have to face long waits just because of an influx of new submissions.
This trend in app development may evolve, but the challenges created by vibe coding are real. The future of human reviews for app updates could be at risk, unless specific changes are made.
For more insights on app development trends, you can check out [this report from TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/) for a broader look at the shift towards automated coding.
