A group of former Apple employees involved in the creation of SwiftUI has launched bitrig, an iPhone application that generates functional SwiftUI apps from voice or text commands, utilizing a method described as “vibe coding.”
The term “vibe coding” was introduced in February by OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy. This method uses large language models (LLMs) to generate code from natural language. Karpathy stated,
“There’s a new kind of coding I call “vibe coding”, where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists. It’s possible because the LLMs (e.g. Cursor Composer w Sonnet) are getting too good. Also I just talk to Composer with SuperWhisper…”
The concept positions AI as a tool to initiate or manage coding projects, especially for non-developers with ideas for personal apps.
The bitrig application allows users to articulate an app idea via text or voice, which the tool then uses to generate a SwiftUI application in seconds. The primary audience is non-developers with simple app concepts, but the tool is also presented as a time-saving utility for experienced developers on basic projects. The app is designed to translate ideas into functional software without requiring traditional coding skills.
The service operates with specific usage limits. All users are restricted to five message inputs per day. Free plan users can send up to 30 messages per month. A Pro subscription, priced at $19.99 per month, provides a higher number of monthly messages, but the daily limit of five inputs is maintained for these subscribers as well.
To assist users, bitrig includes three pre-configured prompts for creating a Tip Calculator, a Metronome, and a Stock Chart application. Beyond these templates, users can input custom ideas for the app to build. During the code generation process, referred to as inference, the application displays its “chain of thought” to provide transparency into its logical steps. Once the application is generated, users can access the underlying code by tapping an ellipsis button. This feature allows them to view and make direct edits to the code, offering a degree of customization over the final product.
The application integrates with an array of Apple’s existing frameworks to enable diverse functionality. Supported frameworks currently include:
- AVFoundation: For working with audiovisual media.
- ContactsUI: For displaying and editing contact information.
- MapKit: For embedding maps and location-based services.
- PhotosUI: For accessing and managing the user’s photo library.
- WidgetKit: For creating home screen widgets.
Additionally, bitrig is equipped to use Apple’s foundation models on iPhones that are compatible with Apple Intelligence and are running the iOS 26 operating system. The development team plans to expand this support to include other frameworks, with SensorKit, NearbyInteraction, and VisualIntelligence being specifically mentioned as upcoming additions.
A key feature for Pro subscribers is the ability to distribute the applications they create. Users with a Pro subscription and a paid Apple Developer Account can send their generated apps directly to TestFlight for testing and distribution. This function streamlines the process of moving an app from concept to a shareable build without leaving the bitrig environment.
The bitrig application is available for download on the App Store. Further information and access to the service are also provided through the official bitrig website.
