Google has entered the burgeoning field of no-code app creation with the introduction of Opal, a new experimental platform from Google Labs. Opal allows users to build AI mini-apps using simple natural language prompts and interactive visual aids. The tool is currently available in a US-only public beta.
Opal is part of a growing "vibe-coding" trend, where users focus on the intent or "vibe" of the app, leaving the code-writing to powerful AI systems. Instead of writing code, users describe their idea in plain language. Opal translates these instructions into a visual workflow, which represents the app's logic as cards on a digital canvas. Each card represents a step, such as user input, processing, or output, and can be edited by clicking into it to modify the underlying prompt.
The platform is designed to be accessible to a wide audience, including hobbyists, creatives, and anyone wanting to prototype ideas without technical expertise. Users can start from scratch or remix existing apps from a shared gallery. Once finished, the app can be published online and shared via a link, allowing others to test it with their own Google accounts. Opal leverages multiple of Google's AI models to generate the applications, though the company has not specified which ones are used.
This initiative places Google in direct competition with companies like Canva, Figma, and Replit, which also offer tools that lower the barrier to entry for software creation. While Google already has its AI Studio for developers, Opal's visual-first approach suggests a strategic push towards accessibility and design-driven prototyping. Opal's focus is primarily on rapid, front-end, and static mini-app prototyping, making it ideal for simple tools but currently lacking backend or database integration for more complex solutions.