Launch HN: ASim (YC S21) – Mobile app that generates mobile apps

83 points by dli123 2 days ago

Hey HN, we’re Daniel and Daniel (the Daniels) from aSim (https://asim.sh/). aSim is a mobile app that can generate immediately usable and shareable mobile apps from your phone.

Tools like bolt.new and v0 have made it easier to build websites by just chatting with an LLM, but things have been lagging on the mobile side. We’ve always been suckers for well-made mobile apps, but today, it is still extremely difficult to build mobile apps with LLMs on your computer, and nearly impossible to do it from your phone.

We built aSim to make it easy to build prototypes, “trinket” apps, or just random fun things all async from your phone. You can check our landing page (https://asim.sh/) for some ideas of different types of apps. Hopefully we can bring some life to your side project graveyard, or at least make the graveyard even more numerous.

Here’s a demo video of the generation process: https://youtu.be/_3VCl13oMGc

And here are the actual one-shotted apps I made in that video:

- https://asim.sh/@dli/s/157003/make-an-app-where-i-can-upload...

- https://asim.sh/@dli/s/157014/make-me-an-app-that-is-a-clone...

- https://asim.sh/@dli/s/157006/make-me-a-chess-timer-app-for-...

All of our app generations also get access to a set of APIs that help get the ball rolling on some basic functionality. These APIs range from LLM usage and image generation to having shared state with your friends, and globally among all users. We’re always on the lookout for new API integrations (i.e. Spotify and Maps) so please let us know if you need any!

We’ve had a small cohort of beta users that have been making what we think are some pretty cool apps. Here’s some of our favorites:

- Pokemon-style Gacha Game - https://asim.sh/@evan/s/126948/elves-vs-monsters

- OpenStreetMap stats: https://asim.sh/@lake/s/104102/osm-stats

- Star wars idle game: https://asim.sh/@jojaspero/s/29102

- Find your Meyers Briggs - https://asim.sh/@typewhisperer/s/135964/jung-mirror (<-- just for fun, you don’t have to believe in MB :))

- AI Tic Tac Toe - https://asim.sh/@hashmelons/s/105561/ai-tic-tac

Behind the scenes, we’re generating a modified version of Typescript React Native that can be parsed and compiled into simpler instructions that can be sent to mobile devices on the fly. We’ve ripped out some parts of the TSC library, as well as lean heavily on AcornJS to massage the (mostly usable) LLM code into something that can actually be run. We have a bunch of static analyzers, as well as leaning on web runtimes to catch runtime errors (as well as take screenshots), though at the very end of the day, we lean the most on our users to play around with their creations and remix them into something great.

It’s currently completely free to use, so we hope you check out aSim at https://asim.sh/ and enjoy it as much as we have while building it! Let us know what features you’d like to see and any problems you have with your generations.

zkid18 - a day ago

love it. but that makes me think that development is no longer the bottleneck —distribution and positioning are. and my bet that the ASim fucntionality will find it place in the current media platfrom.

say, if tiktok launches an ai app store, it won’t be for complex software—it’ll start with low-friction, high-retention apps: ai-powered video enhancements (think face-swaps, lip sync, object replacement) or micro-utilities, something like ASim does.

for platforms, it’s obvious—more engagement, higher monetization, and a new vertical.

for creators, it’s a no-brainer—why funnel traffic to some app store when you can keep users inside tiktok, get them to install, and even monetize directly?

even the infamous 30% app store cut could be creatively sidestepped—imagine launching your own meme coin for in-app purchases instead.

ncr100 - 13 hours ago

[Answered]

Does it play sound at this stage? or other media (eg video, beyond still images and text and UI?)

EDIT Thank you for making and sharing this -- it is pushing the future closer to today (euphemisms are my superpower lol jk)!

EDIT 2: I see the "Enable Sound API/Access" toggle in the Gear icon, below my generation. Exploring this now.

EDIT 3: Behold the HORROR (Works in Desktop Browser) English -> Morse code with "Sound": http://asim.sh/s/160375

- tip: beware of playing long morse code sequences, there is no stopping it.

bambax - 16 hours ago

I tried and keep stuck in a loop between "Oops! Simulation failed" and "Try Fixing".

It's always the same error but it's not displayed in full: "Error: 297:3:invalid statement encou..." ('encountered' probably? but where? how? why not show the full error?)

Also, what are 'Agent' and 'Genius'? (two different app candidates?)

aaurelions - a day ago

Cool, aSim - it's a0.dev + Expo?

realprimoh - 2 days ago

Looks awesome! How do you plan to monetize down the road?

ddxv - a day ago

So where do the 'apps' you generate live? On my Google Play account or just inside of Asim?

leonhard - a day ago

Would like to try it out but I’m not receiving the verification code on my UK number.

pzo - a day ago

Looks like many of those mobile app generators these days:

https://asim.sh/

https://bolt.new/

https://replit.com/

https://a0.dev/

https://www.create.xyz/

https://www.tempo.new/

Seems like most (all?) are making react native apps using expo.

swyx - a day ago

congrats on launching. how are you handling backend needs? firebase? supabse? whats good/whats missing?

purple-leafy - a day ago

While that’s interesting, what I’m really after these days is a Mobile App that generates Mobile Apps that generate Mobile Apps

You can never have too many mobile app generators

sirjaz - 17 hours ago

I'd love to see this adapted for desktop apps. Any plans on doing that?

asim - a day ago

Ironic that I end up competing with an AI app generator for work...

- 14 hours ago
[deleted]
compootr - a day ago

nice april fools joke!

lukaskf - 2 days ago

This is so wild. Definitely one of the cooler uses of AI I have seen, especially for a consumer/app/game.

dostick - 2 days ago

[flagged]

999900000999 - 2 days ago

Have to provide a number just to try someone else's app, hard pass.

hashmelons - a day ago

[dead]

hashmelons - a day ago

[dead]