How Tapwah works
You describe an app in a chat. Tapwah writes it, builds it and runs it on a live iPhone screen in your browser. Here’s what happens at each step, and what Tapwah can and can’t build today.
The four steps
Describe it
Write what the app should do, in your own words. Start small: one screen and one job is plenty. “A recipe box where I can save recipes with ingredients and steps” works well as a first message. You can type your idea on our homepage before you sign up, and it will be waiting in the chat.
Watch it build, then try it
Tapwah writes the code for a native iPhone app, builds it and opens it on the iPhone screen next to the chat. Click to tap, drag to scroll and type with your keyboard. In our tests, each of four starter apps was running within about a minute of the first message.
Change it by asking
Tell Tapwah what to change: “Make the buttons green”, “Add a screen for settings”, “Sort the list by date”. It edits the app, rebuilds it and the phone shows the new version. If something looks wrong, say so in plain words.
Publish to the App Store Coming soon
We’re building a guided path to Apple’s App Store: the developer account, the App Store listing, screenshots, privacy details and review. Publishing needs an Apple Developer Program membership in your own name, which costs $99 a year. Building and trying your app in Tapwah doesn’t.
What’s behind the screen
The iPhone screen you see is Apple’s iPhone simulator, running on a Mac we operate.
Apple’s simulator is the same tool app developers use to try their apps on a Mac. Tapwah streams its screen to your browser and sends your clicks and typing back to it, so you can use your app while the chat keeps working on it.
The code is written by an AI agent that uses Claude, a model made by Anthropic. It writes the app in SwiftUI, Apple’s toolkit for native iPhone apps, and builds it with Apple’s developer tools. If a build fails, the agent reads the error and fixes the code before it shows you the result.
Each app runs in its own sandbox on the simulator, and every simulator is wiped and checked before it is given to the next person. More on that on our security page.
What you can build today
- Apps with lists, forms, buttons, tabs and several screens
- Trackers, schedules, checklists, calculators, quizzes and personal organizers
- Apps that save their data on the phone, so it’s still there when you reopen the app during a session
- Custom colors, icons from Apple’s symbol set, animations and haptic taps
What doesn’t work yet
- Apps can’t use the internet yet, so they can’t load web pages or talk to an online service.
- Things that need real phone hardware, such as the camera or Face ID, can’t be tried on the live screen.
- Each account works on one app at a time.
- Installing the app on your own iPhone comes with the App Store steps, which are coming soon.
Tips for a good first message
Say who it’s for
“For my running club” or “for my kids’ chores” tells Tapwah what the app needs to show.
Give it real examples
Name a few sample items, like three recipes or five runs. The app starts with them filled in, so you can see it working straight away.
Change one thing at a time
Short requests are easier to check. Look at the phone after each one, then ask for the next.
Have an app idea? Start building it today.
Free to start, with 60 minutes of building a day. All you need to sign up is an email address.
Start building, free