With the recent introduction of tools such as OpenAI’s Codex, Anthropic’s Claude Agent, and the anticipated integration of these tools directly into Xcode, the future of single-purpose applications may be limited. Here’s the reasoning.
Despite my consistent on-and-off attempts over the past twenty years, every time I made a decision to learn coding, it never took off. I grasp the concepts adequately, but I’ve never succeeded in turning the actual programming experience into the enjoyable challenge that developers seem to relish. For me, it has always been an eternally frustrating ordeal.
This is why I’ve been closely observing the advancement of low-code, no-code, and AI-assisted programming solutions. I’ll be the first to admit that initially, they all left much to be desired. However, more recently, as I noticed my developer (and tech-savvy non-developer) friends getting enthusiastic about their achievements with newly launched tools and coding models, I thought it was time to give them a try. I’m pleased that I did.
### Codex Created My App in 15 Minutes, and I’m Amazed
Over the last few weeks, I have been utilizing OpenAI’s Codex to develop a small Mac application specifically for addressing a particular productivity need I’ve always had. In fact, Codex managed to get the app’s fundamental features functioning in under 15 minutes, beginning with a single empty folder on my Mac. Since that point, I’ve been requesting it to add a button here, integrate Apple’s Foundation Models there, notify me if X or Y occurs, and so forth.
Are there Mac or even iOS applications that can deliver the basic functionalities of what Codex created for me? Of course. I’ve tried some of them. The free versions are packed with annoying, low-quality advertisements, and don’t perform well. The paid versions, even when effective, don’t operate exactly how I prefer.
My Codex-created app, in contrast, functions precisely as I wish. And if something isn’t to my liking or I come up with a new idea, all I have to do is ask Codex to adjust it. About 10 seconds later, it’s ready.
Does this imply I can establish a Fortune 500 company using just Codex or any other AI-enabled tool? Absolutely not. At least, not at this point. It likely doesn’t even suggest that my app is prepared for public launch. But it serves my needs, and that’s all that matters to me.
### It’s Still Early Days, but a Significant Change is Approaching
My larger point is this: as these tools enhance their coding capabilities and their usage expands, I firmly believe that the era of poorly constructed, ad-laden, single-purpose applications is destined to decline. Unfortunately, I would argue that this also indicates that independent developers dedicated to creating quality, well-crafted, single-purpose apps may ultimately face risks. A lower risk, indeed, but still present.
Currently, only a small fraction of tech-savvy users are even aware that tools like Codex exist. Even fewer are inclined to experiment with them. Even less will possess the knowledge to utilize the potential of agentic models via Xcode 26.4.
Nevertheless, as organizations like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Apple persist in enhancing their development tools and further abstract the foundational programming languages (which will of course retain their importance), we are not far from an era where crafting a custom single-purpose application will feel as commonplace as posing a random question to ChatGPT (and significantly less tricky than trying to accomplish it with Shortcuts).
On the other hand, is there a possibility that the App Store might soon be flooded with even more low-grade, ad-riddled, single-purpose applications? Absolutely. However, I believe this may ultimately expedite the transition toward vibe coding personal solutions, although it will certainly be intriguing to observe how Apple responds to the removal of barriers to app development and release in the future.
Have you been leveraging these tools to create your own applications? Share your thoughts in the comments.