Google Quietly Tests Opal, a “Vibe-Coding” App That Turns Text into Mini Web Apps

Google quietly rolled out Opal, its take on “vibe-coding” tools that turn plain-English descriptions into working web apps. Opal lives in Google Labs, the sandbox where Google experiments with early-stage projects. Anyone in the U.S. can sign in, type what they want – say, a to-do list or a recipe finder and Opal stitches together a mini web app using Google’s own AI models.

Once Opal generates an app, it displays a flowchart-style editor showing each action: the initial prompt, the AI’s response, and the final interface. Users click on any box to view or tweak the underlying text prompt. They can also drag new steps in from Opal’s toolbar, for example, adding a database query or a custom UI element. When happy, creators hit “Publish” to host their app on a shareable Google link. Testers need only a Google account to try it out.

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Opal follows Google’s existing AI Studio, which already lets developers prototype with code-generating prompts. The difference: Opal’s visual workflow lowers the barrier for nonprogrammers. It competes with tools such as Canva’s app builder, Figma’s plugin ecosystem, and Replit’s interactive sandboxes. Startups like Lovable and Cursor have stoked demand for this category, drawing deep-pocketed interest from investors and potential acquirers keen on the next UI innovation.

By surfacing prompts inside an intuitive interface, Opal offers transparency. Users see exactly which prompt led to each part of the app, so they can refine AI outputs without guessing at hidden logic. Google hasn’t yet signaled wider availability beyond the U.S. or detailed plans for integration with its cloud platform. But as AI-powered prototyping gains traction, Opal looks like Google’s latest bid to open app creation to designers, content creators, and small-business owners without learning any coding whatsoever.

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