Vibe Coding Reverses App Store's Decline: New Apps Surge 84% in Q1

According to monitoring by 1M AI News and data from Sensor Tower, the number of new apps launched globally on the App Store reached 235,800 in the first quarter of 2026, marking an 84% year-on-year increase. The total number of new apps in 2025 increased by 30% compared to 2024, approaching 600,000, while this figure had previously declined by 48% over nearly a decade (2016-2024). Sensor Tower senior analyst Abraham Yousef stated that the surge in new apps aligns closely with the widespread adoption of AI programming tools like Claude Code and Codex, which have removed many barriers to app creation. The new apps are primarily focused on efficiency, followed by photography, video, and weather categories. An Apple spokesperson noted that the current growth in new apps demonstrates the ongoing appeal of the App Store. Despite Apple recently removing the AI app generation platform Anything and blocking updates for tools like Replit, a spokesperson from Replit revealed that nearly 5,000 apps developed by Replit users have successfully launched on the App Store in the past few months. Complaints from developers about longer review times are also increasing, with Elon Musk stating last month on X that ‘the delays in iOS app reviews are becoming ridiculous.’ Apple denied that the review process has slowed down, claiming that over 200,000 submissions are processed weekly, with 90% completed within 48 hours, and an average review time of 1.5 days, while also introducing AI tools to assist human reviews. However, the explosion in quantity does not equate to an improvement in quality. Both developers and consumers have begun to complain about the influx of low-quality apps in the App Store, making it harder for users to discover high-quality applications. Apple consultant Matthew Cassinelli’s assessment was straightforward: ‘There are a lot more apps, but a person can only use a few each day.’