Google is testing a vibe coding app called Opal

AI-powered coding tools have been extremely popular over the past few months, almost all major tech companies use one or create their own. The makers of these so-called “vibe coding” tools are hot products at the moment, and startups like startups like buyers and investors want to tap on hot trends.

Google is now the latest to join this bandwagon. The company is testing a vibe coding tool called Opal, available to US users via Google Labs.

Opal allows you to create mini web apps using text prompts. Alternatively, you can remix existing apps available in the gallery. All users have to do is describe the app they want to create, and the tool does so using different Google models.

Once your app is ready, you can go to the Editor panel to see the visual workflow for input, output, and generation steps. You can click each workflow step to see the prompts that direct the process and edit it if necessary. You can also manually add steps from the Opal toolbar.

Opal allows users to publish new apps on the web, share links with others, and test them using their own Google account.

While Google’s AI Studio now allows developers to create apps using prompts, Opal’s visual workflow shows that the company is likely to want to target a larger audience.

The company is on a long list of competitors, including Canva, Figma and Replit. This creates a tool that encourages non-technical people to prototype apps without coding.