
Is this the future of app-building? Google Opal lets you go from idea to web app instantly
Unlike traditional coding, which usually demands a working knowledge of at least one programming language, Opal lets users start by typing a simple description of the app they want. The system processes these instructions and produces a functional web app, giving the user a visual overview of how information moves through the app from start to finish. The interface here is clean and easy to follow. Users see steps and outcomes in a way that removes much of the confusion typical of normal code editors.
Once an app is created, the editing does not have to stop. Opal offers a set of tools in its editor that let users update their prompts, add steps, or try out different logical flows right in the visual workspace. There is no need to write or rework blocks of code. The changes update the app in real time and quickly show the results in the development panel. For those who want to work with something already made, Opal includes a gallery of existing apps. Users can open these, study how they work, and remix them to make something new. This approach encourages sharing and keeps the process moving in a creative direction.
After an app is ready, Opal makes it easy to publish and share. Users get a public link that others with Google accounts can use to test, give feedback, or use the app themselves. The sharing function works well for teams, classrooms, or anyone looking to build and distribute small, practical web tools.
One of Opal's main strengths is that it takes away the fears people often have about coding. The visual display and direct use of language are there to help those unfamiliar with programming take their ideas from thought to working tool without any intimidating obstacles. At the same time, experienced users can focus more on the actual logic and design of the app rather than getting stuck with technical setbacks.
Many companies have recently invested in similar tools to lower the barriers to app creation for everyday users. Google Opal now joins other platforms, like those from Canva and Figma, that focus on direct, prompt-based and visual workflows. These tools all try to include more people in the tech space, making new app ideas possible for those with little or no coding history.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Turning blog posts into social media carousels
Content creators struggle to repurpose long-form blog posts into engaging, platform-specific visuals for social media, a time-consuming process requiring design skills. Manually summarizing key points and creating branded carousels for Instagram or LinkedIn often results in inconsistent branding, high effort, and delayed schedules. Non-designers find producing professional visuals challenging, while designers face repetitive tasks diverting focus from strategic work. The new Claude-Canva integration solves this by automating summarization and design, enabling quick, on-brand carousel creation, saving time, and ensuring consistency. What is Claude-Canva integration? This new integration, powered by Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP), combines Claude's AI-driven text processing with Canva's design platform, allowing users to create branded visuals via natural language prompts in Claude's interface. How to access: and Claude-Canva integration can help you •Repurpose content: Transform blog posts into multi-slide carousels for social media. •Automate design: Create branded visuals using natural language prompts. •Streamline workflows: Summarize and design within Claude's interface, no app-switching needed. Example A startup founder posts weekly AI insights on LinkedIn but struggles with visuals. Their text-heavy posts get low engagement due to lack of design skills. Using Claude-Canva, they can turn a thought-leadership blog into a LinkedIn carousel. What makes Claude-Canva special? Smart summarization: Claude intelligently distils complex content into concise, visually-ready formats, saving hours of manual work. Mint's 'AI tool of the week' is excerpted from Leslie D'Monte's weekly TechTalk newsletter. Subscribe to Mint's newsletters to get them directly in your email inbox. Note: The tools and analysis featured in this section demonstrated clear value based on our internal testing. Our recommendations are entirely independent and not influenced by the tool creators. Jaspreet Bindra is co-founder and CEO of AI&Beyond. Anuj Magazine is also a co-founder.


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Apple signals AI spending surge, open to big acquisitions: Tim Cook
Apple CEO Tim Cook signaled on Thursday the iPhone maker was ready to spend more to catch up to rivals in artificial intelligence by building more data centers or buying a larger player in the segment, a departure from a long practice of fiscal frugality. CEO Tim Cook says Apple ready to open its wallet to catch up in AI(Reuters) Apple has struggled to keep pace with rivals such as Microsoft and Alphabet's Google, both of which have attracted hundreds of millions of users to their AI-powered chatbots and assistants. That growth has come at a steep cost, however, with Google planning to spend $85 billion over the next year and Microsoft on track to spend more than $100 billion, mostly on data centers. Apple, in contrast, has leaned on outside data center providers to handle some of its cloud computing work, and despite a high-profile partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI for certain iPhone features, has tried to grow much of its AI technology in-house, including improvements to its Siri virtual assistant. The results have been rocky, with the company delaying its Siri improvements until next year. During a conference call after Apple's fiscal third-quarter results, analysts noted that Apple has historically not done large deals and asked whether it might take a different approach to pursue its AI ambitions. CEO Cook responded that the company had already acquired seven smaller companies this year and is open to buying larger ones. "We're very open to M&A that accelerates our roadmap. We are not stuck on a certain size company, although the ones that we have acquired thus far this year are small in nature," Cook said. "We basically ask ourselves whether a company can help us accelerate a roadmap, and if they do, then we're interested." Shares of the company were up 1.7% in premarket trading on Friday. Apple has tended to buy smaller firms with highly specialized technical teams to build out specific products. Its largest deal ever was its purchase of Beats Electronics for $3 billion in 2014, followed by a $1 billion deal to buy a modem chip business from Intel. But now Apple is at a unique crossroads for its business. The tens of billions of dollars per year it receives from Google as payment to be the default search engine on iPhones could be undone by U.S. courts in Google's antitrust trial, while startups like Perplexity are in discussions with handset makers to try to dislodge Google with an AI-powered browser that would handle many search functions. Apple executives have said in court they are considering reshaping the firm's Safari browser with AI-powered search functions, and Bloomberg News has reported that Apple executives have discussed buying Perplexity, which Reuters has not independently confirmed. Apple also said on Thursday it plans to spend more on data centers, an area where it typically spends only a few billion dollars per year. Apple is currently using its own chip designs to handle AI requests with privacy controls that are compatible with the privacy features on its devices. Kevan Parekh, Apple's chief financial officer, did not give specific spending targets but said outlays would rise. "It's not going to be exponential growth, but it is going to grow substantially," Parekh said during the conference call. 'A lot of that's a function of the investments we're making in AI.'


Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
WinZO disputes Google's CCI proposal on Play Store rules
Bengaluru: Real‑money gaming platform WinZO has raised concerns over Google's latest proposal to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), arguing that it does not adequately address the anti‑competitive issues flagged in an ongoing investigation. The case originates from WinZO's December 2022 complaint alleging that Google abused its dominant position by restricting Play Store access to only fantasy sports and rummy apps while excluding other real‑money gaming categories. With Google controlling 96% of India's app distribution market, WinZO said this policy inflated user acquisition costs by 'at least 10x' for apps distributed outside the Play Store. Acting on the complaint, the CCI in November 2024 ordered a formal investigation, citing prima facie violations of competition law, including the imposition of unfair conditions, denial of market access and limiting of market development. The Commission had noted Google's lack of clear criteria for its pilot programme, inconsistent enforcement of its ads policy and 'misleading payment warnings' shown to users sideloading apps, which it said artificially deterred usage. In a public notice issued recently the CCI invited comments on Google's commitment offer. Google's proposal includes allowing all real‑money games that are certified by recognised third‑party bodies, replacing its pilot programme for fantasy sports and rummy apps and permitting certified skill‑based games to advertise on Google Ads. If approved, Google has committed to implement the Play Store changes within 120 days and its advertising changes within 150 days of the CCI's order. The deadline for public comments is August 20, 2025. Responding to WinZO's objections, a Google spokesperson said the company welcomed the CCI's market testing of its proposed framework, describing it as the result of 'constructive discussions' with the regulator and Indian developers. Google added that it is confident the proposal will create 'a more open and safe ecosystem' for real‑money gaming apps, empower local developers and prioritise user safety. In its statement, WinZO said Google's commitments 'must be robust and genuinely eliminate the discriminatory practices identified,' adding that the proposed framework's reference to 'developing' a commercial model for real‑money gaming lacked clear timelines or objective criteria. WinZO, which reported a 70% rise in revenue to Rs 1,055 crore and a 151% increase in profit to Rs 315 crore in FY24, said it will continue to participate in the consultation process 'to ensure fairness, transparency and a level playing field in India's digital economy.' AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now