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Vibe coding may be behind a 60 percent spike in new iOS apps

Matthias Bastian
Matthias Bastian View the LinkedIn Profile of Matthias Bastian
Jan 25, 2026

Data from Sensor Tower and Wells Fargo Securities suggests AI coding tools are flooding the iOS App Store. According to a16z, new iOS apps jumped 60 percent in December 2025 year-over-year, with 24 percent growth across the full twelve months. The three years prior, new app numbers stayed essentially flat.

The chart shows year-over-year iOS app releases, with growth accelerating sharply after the release of agentic coding tools. | Image: via a16z

The analysis ties the surge to "agentic coding," AI-powered tools that let users build apps with minimal coding experience. a16z draws a parallel to 2008, when Apple released the iPhone SDK and the App Store launched with 500 apps but hit one million downloads within a weekend.

The analysis doesn't prove vibe coding is causing the increase; the correlation could be coincidental. Still, it makes intuitive sense: building an app has become much easier, meaning more people can now ship their ideas to the App Store.

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