I created a Flappy Bird clone in minutes using Apple’s free AI agent

Coding is one skill I’ve been eyeing for a few years now. When Apple first launched Swift Playgrounds on the iPad, I immediately fell in love with the concept and enrolled in several online courses to learn iOS app development. While I quickly picked up the basics of coding in Swift, mastering the art of delivering functional iPhone apps turned out to be a real challenge. That changed when Apple released its latest Xcode update.

Xcode version 26.3 introduces native support for AI coding agents such as OpenAI’s Codex and Anthropic’s Claude Agent. While you could previously rely on AI chatbots for help in Xcode, the integration was limited.

To test how powerful the new AI extension is, I decided to replicate the fan-favorite game Flappy Bird (gone too soon). To my surprise, the whole endeavor took no more than a casual, one-line prompt and three minutes of my time.

We’re getting started

While vibration coding in Xcode requires no programming experience, understanding the logic of app development helps. If you’re new to it, you can check out some of the recent Xcode tutorials on YouTube or ask your favorite AI chatbot for advice.

First, you’ll need to download Apple Xcode version 26.3 or later on your Mac. (Xcode is free, but takes up a lot of space – over 12 GB.) After installation, go to Xcode’s Settings page, go to Intelligenceand choose between OpenAI and Anthropic in Providers section. You will need to login with your Codex or Claude Agent account or enter an API key. It’s worth noting that AI coding agents usually require a paid subscription, but OpenAI offers free access to the Codex for a limited time.

After connecting your preferred AI agent, you will need to visit Components in Xcode settings and download the latest iOS build simulator. Then go to the Apple Accounts section and enter your Apple credentials. You can then exit Xcode setup and go to Equipment and simulators help window option on your Mac’s menu bar. Connect your iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable and accept the pairing dialog when it appears.

Enable on your iPhone Developer mode by going to Privacy and security settings and visiting the appropriate section at the bottom of the list. Once done, your iPhone should appear as a paired item in the Equipment and simulators list on macOS. You can then disconnect your iPhone as the following steps work wirelessly when your iPhone and Mac are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Hatching Flappy Bird

At this point, we can start the application creation process itself. Create a new project in Xcode, select iOS as the desired platform, and give it a suitable name. Towards the top left corner you will find a star shaped Coding assistant button; tap on it and then select Code gold Agent Claude using the drop-down menu. HAS Message (selected AI agent) a text box should appear in the lower left corner. This is where the magic begins.

I randomly typed “build a basic Flappy Bird game for iOS using native SwiftUI” into the text box and Codex injected the necessary code into the Xcode project within minutes. The right-hand canvas shows you a live preview of the app you’re building as you edit the code in real-time. I set the Canvas target as my real iPhone (paired in the previous section) because it’s more intuitive to test the app on a physical device than on a simulator. This will automatically launch a new app called Xcode Previews on your iPhone where you can work on the app you’re developing. Except the initial build failed due to a bug in the AI ​​generated code.

Squeezable bugs

I could spend a few minutes (or hours, maybe) trying to crack the code and figure out how to fix the problem, but why would I do that in a time of brain rot? I simply clicked on the red error in the code and tapped Generate a fix for the problem. Xcode automatically instructed the AI ​​agent to scan the problematic line and apply the fix. Within seconds, Codex figured out what was wrong and made the necessary adjustments.

Mahmoud Itani/Foundry

And so my dollar store Flappy Bird game was born. Xcode Previews was finally able to upload the app to my iPhone and I could play it just fine. However, there was still a problem. Xcode Previews on iOS only works when you’re actively viewing or editing a project in macOS. It is not a permanent way to run and use the app on your iPhone independently.

Putting it on your iPhone

To actually install the app on iOS, you’ll need to tap on the triangle-shaped one Run towards the top left corner of the Xcode project – after selecting your iPhone as the desired target. Give Xcode a few seconds to build and wirelessly transfer the app to your nearby iPhone. Once the app is installed, try to launch it. Oops, that won’t work either.

Mahmoud Itani/Foundry

Get out VPN and device management on your iPhone General settings and approve the app you created. You will then be able to open and use the app without relying on your Mac. In particular, Apple requires you to rebuild and deploy your app once a week unless you pay for its developer program. So for long term free usage you will have to repeat some of the above steps every time it expires.

The sky is the limit

In addition to testing the initial build of your app with vibration coding, you can easily make modifications using the connected AI agents in Xcode. Just keep inserting prompts describing the changes you want and the extension will take care of the rest. You can change colors, shapes, fonts and practically anything in the user interface. Similarly, you can ask her to make adjustments to how the app works by adding, removing, or improving features.

Mahmoud Itani/Foundry

If your improved app doesn’t violate Apple’s guidelines, you can even join the developer program and try to submit it to the App Store—all without acquiring advanced coding knowledge. After all, a flight of a thousand miles begins with one flap.