Forget the App Store — Apple could be about to launch the ‘agent store’ for AI apps, and it could transform how you use your i Phone | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Details
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
Forget the App Store — Apple could be about to launch the ‘agent store’ for AI apps, and it could transform how you use your i Phone
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
A report claims Apple is working to allow AI agents on its App Store
This is a sudden departure from Apple’s more recent moves on AI apps
Apple has previously removed vibe-coding AI apps from the App Store
Back in March, word got around that several vibe coding apps — which let you create an app by entering a few natural language prompts — had been removed from the App Store. While Apple said it wasn’t specifically targeting this type of artificial intelligence (AI) app, the signs didn’t look good for anyone developing apps like this. And things looked even bleaker for apps that used AI agents — or AI bots that perform complex tasks on your behalf — given how sensitive Apple is to the security of its storefront.
But in a neck-snapping 180-degree turn, it now looks like Apple is actively working on a plan to help get AI agents onto its App Store in an official capacity. That’s according to a new report from The Information, at least, which claims that Apple is seeking ways to better support apps that include AI agents. That, in turn, could lead to a radical reconfiguration of the App Store, which some analysts believe might make certain app categories much less relevant as AI takes over.
At the same time, Apple’s system would be designed to maintain the existing security and privacy standards of the App Store, The Information claims. It also wants to avoid the kinds of “rogue agents” known to delete user data and perform other questionable tasks.
Apple may add AI chatbots that run ‘inside Siri’ — here's why that's concerning
Apple is about to let you replace its AI with Chat GPT, Gemini, and Claude
AI may kill the app grid, but complex tasks still need apps
How exactly any of that would work, though, hasn’t yet been made clear. The Information’s report doesn’t go into the specifics of Apple’s plan, and instead merely states that Apple is “designing a system to adhere to its standards of privacy and security and prevent the more freewheeling behavior some users of agentic systems such as Open Claw have experienced, where agents can go haywire and delete all of a user’s emails.”
However, even without exact details, it’s clear from reading the room that Apple knows something has to give.
Why the sudden volte face from Apple? That much isn’t clear, but what is evident is that apps are increasingly incorporating AI capabilities, and that isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. It’s likely that Apple feels it has to adapt to the new status quo before it gets left behind.
Additionally, Apple itself is diving headfirst into the world of AI. Its Apple Intelligence system is expected to get a major update at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, with AI-powered upgrades for Siri finally arriving in i OS 27 two years after they were first announced.
And Apple has added vibe-coding powers to its own apps like Xcode, so it’s unlikely the company would be able to take a skeptical view of similar products from other developers for long.
Recent reports have indicated that Apple’s App Store review team has been overwhelmed by a deluge of vibe-coded apps, as harnessing machine-learning bots to write code has dramatically reduced the time required to build, test, and deploy an app. If Apple is taking steps to support AI-enabled apps on its platforms, it remains to be seen how the review team will cope if the surge of new apps is here to stay.
The signs suggest that it’s likely to continue. According to Sophia Velastegui, a developer who previously worked on AI at Microsoft and platform architecture at Apple, “There’s literally going to be millions of agents.” While that could be overwhelming, Velastegui believes it’s a great opportunity for Apple’s App Store to become “the agent store.”
With WWDC just around the corner, we could soon get an explanation from Apple on what it plans to do with AI apps going forward, both those on its own roster and those created by third-party developers. But every indication is that Apple knows it’s got to adapt to the new normal — and allowing AI agent products on its App Store is just the latest sign that that’s the case.
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as Tech Radar, Alex writes for i More, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at Mac Format magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
1 Utah just approved a data center twice the size of Manhattan that will consume more electricity than the entire state
2I hate expensive headphones — but after years of testing, I've finally found a pair I can't live without
3'The second life of drones': Why thousands of UAVs in Ukraine have stopped working, how a team of 'craftsmen' is fixing 24,000 obsolete drones every year, and what it means for the future of the drone industry
4 Don't wait for Memorial Day to buy a new TV — shop record-low prices right now, with up to $1,400 off 4K, QLED, and OLED TVs
5“If you’re manufacturing EVs that can’t be repaired, it’s going to be a real challenge to sustain residual values” — experts call for more repairability in the battery industry
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
