Vibe coding could be slowing Apple app store approvals, report reveals

AI-assisted app development, or vibe coding, is creating a bottleneck for Apple's App Store review process, with some developers reporting wait times stretching to weeks, Business Insider reports.

The number of new iOS apps released in the US grew nearly 55 percent year-over-year in January, following a 56 percent spike in December — the highest growth rate in four years, according to data from marketing intelligence firm Sensor Tower, according to Business Insider. The surge follows the mainstream rise of agentic coding tools in 2025, which have made it possible for just about anyone to build and ship an app.

One vibe coder told Business Insider he's been waiting about 6 weeks to get his app approved, with update reviews taking anywhere from 2 days to a week. Others on the iOS programming subreddit have echoed the frustration, with some worried Apple could tighten its review standards to filter out low-quality AI-generated apps.

Apple pushed back on the characterization, telling Business Insider that 90 percent of submissions are still reviewed within 48 hours and that it has processed more than 200,000 submissions per week over the last three months, with an average review time of 1.5 days.

But analysts say Apple will need a longer-term fix. One market research analyst told Business Insider that their company will eventually have to move away from case-by-case gatekeeping toward something more like curation at scale.