Google unveiled Opal, an AI tool for building web apps without code

AI-based programming tools have become so popular in recent months that almost every major tech company is either using them or developing their own solutions. Creators of so-called «vibe-coding» tools are now worth their weight in gold. Startups like Lovable and Cursor are actively fending off buyers and investors eager to join the hot new trend.

Now Google has joined the race: the company is testing a vibe-coding tool called Opal, available to U.S. users through the Google Labs platform, where Google typically experiments with new technologies.

Opal lets you create mini-web apps using plain text queries. You can also modify existing apps from a special gallery. All the user has to do is describe what kind of app they want to create. Opal then uses Google’s various AI models to generate the app.

When the app is ready, the user is presented with a visual editor panel that shows the workflow from input to final result. You can click on each step to see the query used and edit it if necessary. Manual addition of new steps from the Opal toolbar is also available.

Opal allows you to publish finished apps online and share links with others who can test them using their Google accounts.

Although Google AI Studio already lets you create apps with prompts, Opal’s visual interface suggests that the company is looking to make the process accessible to a wider audience.

Google joins a long list of competitors – Canva, Figma, Replit and others – that are also building tools to allow non-programmers to develop app prototypes without code knowledge.

The Google unveils Opal, an AI tool for building web apps without code was first published on ITZine.ru.