Apple is facing the problem of allowing apps that use AI agents in the App Store, and is having internal discussions about how to incorporate them without breaking long-standing App Store guidelines.
Artificial intelligence has led to a swathe of apps hitting the App Store, as developers embrace agentic coding. While Apple is fine with using AI to produce apps, it continues to have trouble bringing apps using AI to the App Store itself, due to the potential of breaking its rules.
Apple is now trying to work out how to include apps that use AI agents in the App Store so that it can profit from them, reports sources of The Information.
So far, Apple has been blocking apps that have the capability of being used for vibe coding, namely using AI to write code and to create programs. However, the App Store Review Guidelines forbid apps from coding and producing other apps on the iPhone and iPad itself.
The sticking point is that the App Store Review process is meant to check and safeguard users from potential harm, such as malware. If allowed to pass the review process, coding apps could be used to make malware, which wouldn't have been inspectable by Apple beforehand.
There is also the matter of those agentic coding apps creating other apps for the user. While it wouldn't be checkable by Apple, it's also something that can save users from buying other apps from the App Store, endangering its revenue.
Working with the rules
Apple is trying to come up with ways to reconcile this problem. So far, this has apparently consisted of designing a system for apps to adhere to privacy and security standards.
Such a system would prevent some of the more elaborate agentic AI systems from being on iPhone. That means no OpenClaw-style software with massive reach across the user's system.
Apple has an obvious monetary reason for enabling the apps, especially when they are growing in popularity. But at the same time, those apps have the potential to harm the ecosystem too.
WWDC in June is expected to include a lot of AI-related content, but it is unclear if this AI thrust will involve the App Store.
Third-party AI party
Some of this work to firm up its AI proposition runs alongside another effort giving users a lot more options when it comes to task processing. It is rumored that Apple will be giving users the ability to choose which third-party models can run on their iPhone, as an alternative to Apple Intelligence.
While Apple already has ChatGPT integrated in a way that allows various Apple Intelligence features to run through it instead, including Siri queries, more AI models will apparently be supported in the 27-generation Apple operating systems.
The selected agents will be able to handle things like user queries directed to Siri, Writing Tools, and even the generation of files through Image Playground.
This is something that Apple has been thinking about for some time, especially concerning the App Store. There have been rumors going back to 2024 about an AI App Store, but more recent speculation has been about a section within the store itself.
By contrast to Apple's current App Store quandry, the models Apple will allow to work with Siri and have deeper access into iOS and macOS will be those approved by Apple. Those models will obviously face more stringent inspection from Apple, and won't have the capability to code at all.
