Since January, Replit’s iOS app has been stuck on the same version. The rankings show it slipping. First to second, then to third in Apple’s free developer tools category. In March, The Information reported what was happening. Apple had blocked updates to several AI coding apps, including Replit and Vibecode. The cited rule was App Store Review Guideline 2.5.2: apps must be self-contained in their bundles and may not “execute code which introduces or changes features or functionality.” The rule has existed for years. It predates the category of software it is now being applied to. According to the report, Apple was close to approving Replit’s updates if the company stopped previewing generated apps inside its iOS client and opened them in Safari instead. The fix wasn’t “stop generating code.” It was “stop showing the generated thing inside the reviewed thing.” A week later, Apple’s enforcement escalated. On March 26, the company pulled an app called Anything from the App Store entirely, citing the same rule.…