Apple's own Swift Playground app does the exact thing that supposedly violates the rules, abusing an inconsistently-applied exception for "educational" apps [1].
Recent regulation doesn't help here, by the way. iOS apps submitted for "notarization" to be distributed in alternative app stores in the EU, Japan, etc. still must comply with a subset of the guidelines, including 2.5.2. EU is probably not interested in strengthening the DMA so that Apple doesn't have to approve everything because then it makes other EU regulations easier to bypass (e.g. Chat Control).
The "educational" exception is definitely a convenient loophole, but it raises questions about consistency and fairness in how these rules are enforced across the board
It’ll be interesting to see if Apple comes around on customization of apps in general, because hopefully that’ll soon be what users expect.
In the world where users expect to be able to customize software more and more, apps start to look quite rigid and open platforms like the web that offer flexibility start to look more appealing.
Imagine a Lovable-style PWA that morphs into the app you vibecoded by storing the generated code in localStorage, for example - with cloud fallbacks to re-download the code if the storage is wiped.
Linux and Windows have always been a lot more customisable, Apple always was the more "we know better than you what you want" company... And they weren't wrong enough
And it's always been a stupid rule. If I ship an app with a browser view, I can run any custom code I want in it. The rule is just a bandaid on Apple's lack of true sandboxing for apps.
Apple's huge problem here is - even though the get 50% more native app submissions this year - that these apps-in-apps (no matter how buggy they are) do not get them their predatory 30% Apple cut.
That being said, it is rumoured that Apple will make deal with the big one like Replit as long as these apps do not run on ios - they are going to keep profiting off that walled garden until it collapses.
What does vibe coding add here? How is this any different than just arbitrary code execution on device, which is exactly what this gatekeeper rule covers?
(Not commenting on the rule, just want to see what’s new here)
Interesting that they’re not ok with that, but are completely fine with plenty of React Native and Flutter apps using OTA to update themselves without going through AppStore review like GM’s apps, Crypto.com and countless others
IANAL, but I think it means creating apps that stand alone outside their creator. I have a couple of linux VM's a-shell and iSH, but nothing runs outside of them.
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Recent regulation doesn't help here, by the way. iOS apps submitted for "notarization" to be distributed in alternative app stores in the EU, Japan, etc. still must comply with a subset of the guidelines, including 2.5.2. EU is probably not interested in strengthening the DMA so that Apple doesn't have to approve everything because then it makes other EU regulations easier to bypass (e.g. Chat Control).
Looks like YC wasted their money on this one, unless it's exempt because one of the founders used to work at Apple or something: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45041185
[1] https://developer.apple.com/swift-playground/
In the world where users expect to be able to customize software more and more, apps start to look quite rigid and open platforms like the web that offer flexibility start to look more appealing.
Imagine a Lovable-style PWA that morphs into the app you vibecoded by storing the generated code in localStorage, for example - with cloud fallbacks to re-download the code if the storage is wiped.
We helped a Series B YC company with a whitelabel Lovable app so all of their customers can build exactly what they need on top of their SaaS!
It really works -- 1200 customers are now vibe coding daily and using their SaaS a LOT more.
> open platforms like the web
I winced. The threats to the open web at the moment are depressing.
>"and that has always been disallowed".
And it's always been a stupid rule. If I ship an app with a browser view, I can run any custom code I want in it. The rule is just a bandaid on Apple's lack of true sandboxing for apps.
That being said, it is rumoured that Apple will make deal with the big one like Replit as long as these apps do not run on ios - they are going to keep profiting off that walled garden until it collapses.
(Not commenting on the rule, just want to see what’s new here)
"One more day where I get to use llm to code but still avoid being replaced myself"