I Created My Own Apps Using AI — Here’s What I Learned
Have you ever searched for an app with very specific features, only to find it doesn’t exist or hides needed features behind a paywall? I’ve been there. For instance, I always wanted afinance managerwith custom graphs, a to-do list tailored to my workflow, or even a simple tool that cleans up messy text I copy from WhatsApp or websites.
Most tools I found were bloated with ads or required subscriptions. That’s when I thought—what if I make my own AI app that does one thing but does it really well? Can you make your own AI app? Here’s what I found.
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Enter Vibe Coding
Thanks to AI, you actually can. A littleprogrammingknowledge helps, but it’s not required. All you need is an idea, some patience, and the ability to explain what you want—like you’re chatting with a friend. This method is calledvibe coding. You describe your idea in plain English, and the AI writes the code. Then, you keep adding prompts to refine or fix things. I gave it a shot—and here’s how it went.
My First Attempt: A Text Cleaner
I often copy text from WhatsApp or websites and paste it into notes or emails. But it sometimes pastes weird symbols, emojis, and broken formatting. Something like:
“Hey � can you ⍰ check ▯ this out <?>”
This happens due to Unicode or font issues. I wanted a web app where I could paste any copied text and clean it up—remove emojis, fix line breaks, and get plain text I could use anywhere.
While platforms like ChatGPT can generate code, they often need a bit more technical handling. Tools likeLovableorVercel v0are better for beginners. They generate the full code structure in one go, and the interface is more intuitive. I started with Lovable (which offers 5 free prompts a day and is more non-developer friendly ). I logged in and gave it a detailed prompt.
The first version looked fine, but the button didn’t work. No matter how many times I clicked, it just sat without doing anything.
Here’s where vibe coding shines. I didn’t touch the code—I just told the AI, “The button isn’t working.” It fixed the issue. Then I noticed line breaks weren’t handled properly. I explained the issue, and it refined the logic. When I couldn’t copy the result text, I flagged that too, and it patched the problem.
This back-and-forth went on for a few rounds—maybe 7 or 8 prompts in total. Each time, I described what was wrong, and the AI did the fixing. Finally, it worked. A clean, simple web app that removes symbols, fixes line breaks, and lets me copy clean text—all without ads or subscriptions.
Lovable even lets you deploy the app for free usingSupabase. Just link your account and publish it. Supabase handles the backend, and you can even add login support using Google, GitHub, or other accounts.
Here’s the text cleaner app –cleanify-text.lovable.app
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Other Mini Projects I Built
Once I got the hang of it, I created more AI apps:
All of these were built using simple prompts. I didn’t write a single line of code manually.
What I Learned From Creating My First AI App
After trying out platforms like Lovable, Vercel v0, Claude, and ChatGPT, here’s what stood out:
Each app I built took between 30 minutes to a couple of hours. They aren’t professionally polished, but they’re functional, personal, and free. Vibe coding won’t replace real developers. But if there’s a tool you always wished existed—something simple and specific—you’re able to probably build it yourself over a weekend with AI. And honestly? It feels like magic. Way better than endlessly scrolling the App Store, hoping someone else made your dream app.
Ravi Teja KNTS
Tech writer with over 4 years of experience at TechWiser, where he has authored more than 700 articles on AI, Google apps, Chrome OS, Discord, and Android. His journey started with a passion for discussing technology and helping others in online forums, which naturally grew into a career in tech journalism. Ravi’s writing focuses on simplifying technology, making it accessible and jargon-free for readers. When he’s not breaking down the latest tech, he’s often immersed in a classic film – a true cinephile at heart.
