Apple might open the App Store to agentic AI, which could change how iPhone users interact with their smartphones every day. If the plan works, the App Store could expand from a straightforward marketplace for apps and instead become an intermediary for autonomous software.
That could be a much bigger deal than it sounds. These AI agents might be capable of performing complex things on your behalf, such as booking flights, managing your calendar, and even coordinating the whole day without you ever needing to tap a single button.
An App Store for AI agents, not just apps
Apple spent nearly two decades turning the App Store into the ultimate gateway to mobile computing. In Apple’s tightly controlled iPhone ecosystem, nearly every action starts with someone tapping an app they downloaded from the App Store.
But the rise of agentic AI threatens to blow up that model. The news that Apple is exploring an “Agent Store” for autonomous AI assistants suggests the company envisions a future where users might stop opening apps altogether and instead delegate tasks to software that can think, act and navigate across services on its own.
“Apple is exploring ways to better incorporate AI agents into its App Store” so it can benefit “from the tech industry’s hottest trend,” according to The Information.
However, it looks like Apple is taking a typically cautious approach to allowing AI apps to take over the very ecosystem it built over the years. Plus, the company is currently trying to turn Siri into a capable AI agent. (We should see more about that at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference next month.)
Apple takes cautious approach to allowing agentic AI into the App Store
AI agents are capable of performing complex actions and can prove incredibly helpful for everyday tasks. But the problem is that AI apps might bypass the App Store’s regulations.
“Some agents can spin up smaller apps on the spot to perform a wide variety of tasks, which could be a problem if the agents do so after Apple has already approved the apps they live within,” said The Information.
While details remain unclear, Apple appears to be designing a system that allows AI agents in the App Store while adhering to the company’s privacy and security standards. The report says Apple is building in safeguards to prevent AI agents’ “freewheeling behavior,” citing a case where popular autonomous agent OpenClaw deleted all of a user’s emails.
And this is the crux of the problem. Apple already knows what a traditional app can do on your iPhone. But an AI agent can perform a wide range of tasks, like making mini-apps and writing a script.
Apple’s App Store rules do not currently support these capabilities. But Apple may soon be forced to change its policies if it wants to keep up with the latest software trends.
Apple has already blocked some vibe-coding apps
At least one agentic AI app already caused Apple headaches. The company recently pulled vibe-coding app Anything from the App Store. Apple said Anything violated rules that prevent apps from running code that changes their own functionality or that of other apps.
Vibe coding apps use AI to enable users to create their very own apps and scripts with very little to no experience. They have gained massive popularity in the last few months and are easy to use.
The same problem applies to AI agents in general. And yet, if Apple decides to block them, it will risk falling behind in a race it is already losing.
AI agents might turn out to be the biggest software shift in years. But if Apple decides to open its gates to them without proper guardrails, it could look bad for a company that built its $4 trillion brand on privacy and “things just working.”
Apple’s secret weapon may be its ecosystem
Apple built the iPhone experience around a simple idea: A user downloads an app, uses a feature, and then closes the app. And while modern apps are more than just an interface, AI agents are capable of bringing everything together and redefining the smartphone experience.
Historically, Apple has rarely been the first to a category. Instead, the company focuses on controlling the platform and simplifying things.
AI agents might threaten the App Store, but Apple could still emerge as the winner. Competitors like OpenAI currently lack the deep hardware and software integration that makes Apple devices so desirable. That means an AI agent deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem could prove far more useful than a standalone AI chatbot.
- See also: How Apple will win the AI war
Anurag Chawake is a tech-focused writer specializing in smartphones, apps and consumer technology. His interest in computers began during the Windows 98 era, eventually leading him to explore everything from operating systems to mobile devices and PC hardware. Anurag previously contributed to The Indian Express, covering Apple, Android, gaming and the broader technology landscape.
