It seems Apple's App Store has suddenly awakened from its three-year slumber. After a period of relative stagnation in new app uploads since 2022, 2025 saw an unprecedented explosion in the number of applications submitted to the store. The secret isn't magic; it's artificial intelligence that has decided to don the programmer's hat, empowering virtually anyone to launch their own app. This sudden surge isn't just a matter of fleeting numbers; it's a radical transformation that could fundamentally change the App Store as we know it, for better or for worse.
The real numbers behind the software explosion
During 2025, the number of new iOS app applications grew by 24%, but the real peak occurred in December of that year, when the numbers jumped by 60% compared to the previous year. While some reports have circulated an exaggerated figure of 84%, reliable data from sources like Sensor Tower and Wells Fargo Securities confirms that the increase remains remarkable even without exaggeration. This sudden break from three years of stagnation suggests that we are not witnessing a mere temporary surge, but rather a structural shift in the way apps are created.
It's important to distinguish between "new apps" and the number of downloads or revenue; what we're talking about here is "supply," or the number of programs trying to secure a place on your devices. Apple, as usual, doesn't publish transparent data on the number of rejected applications or the categories experiencing this growth, forcing us to rely on external market tracking tools to understand what's happening behind the scenes of app review in Cupertino.
The “Proxy Programming” Revolution: The Programmer Who Never Sleeps
The most plausible explanation for this surge is the emergence of “agent coding” tools—artificial intelligence tools that not only suggest code but also build fully functional applications based on natural language descriptions. The developer's role has shifted from writing complex lines of code to that of a “product manager” who dictates to the machine what to do. The timeline for the development of these technologies perfectly mirrors the leap forward of the app store; from Anthropic's open protocols in late 2024 to OpenAI's launch of its app store, all roads led to December 2025.
Some are trying to draw parallels between this moment and 2008, when the App Store launched with just 500 apps and reached a million downloads in a single weekend. But the crucial difference is that in 2008 we were in a software desert, desperately seeking anything; today, we're in a crowded ocean of millions of apps vying for user attention, making this "abundance" as much a problem as a benefit.
Quantity vs. Quality: The Risks of Canned Goods
Even more concerning is the “trust gap” among new developers. Studies show that programmers using artificial intelligence often overestimate the security of their code, even though it may be less secure than handwritten code. This places immense pressure on Apple’s app review system, which was designed in an era when app development required significant technical investment and acted as a natural quality filter. Now, with this obstacle removed, we may see a surge of apps whose deep vulnerabilities even Apple cannot quickly enough check.
The future of the app store in the age of abundance
Ultimately, we are faced with a puzzle that Apple has not yet publicly solved: Does it see this explosion as an opportunity to revive creativity, or is it merely a stress test for its ecosystem? The success of this phase depends on Apple's ability to develop search and discovery algorithms; adding thousands of apps daily without a precise filtering system will make finding a true "gem" amidst the rubble of duplicate apps almost impossible.
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