Wabi Pivots From App Builder to AI Messenger
Wabi, the AI startup that lets anyone build apps through simple prompts, is making a strategic pivot as demand for AI agents surges. The company announced this week that Wabi is evolving into an AI messenger — one that retains its core ability to generate apps on demand to help users get things done.
Founder Eugenia Kuyda, who previously founded the AI companion startup Replika, describes the new offering, Wabi 2.0, as a "personal agent that does stuff for you and builds the interface you need in the moment."
From Vibe Coding to Agentic Messaging
The rebranded product shares DNA with the original Wabi, but changes how users engage with it. Rather than competing with vibe-coding tools, Wabi 2.0 positions itself directly against AI agents that blend conversation and productivity into a single interface — a category gaining serious momentum in 2026.
Introducing Wabi 2.0: a new kind of messenger that makes apps and gets things done for you and your friends. We're building the OS for the agentic era – software that adapts to your life, gets things done, and makes more room for the people and things that matter. — wabi (@wabi), September 28, 2026
The pivot lands amid a broader industry shift. OpenAI used its Dev Day to announce updated ChatGPT plugins that let third-party apps deliver interactive experiences directly inside ChatGPT, with app names pinned prominently to the sidebar. The move signals that major AI platforms are rethinking how software behaves inside generalized chatbot interfaces.
Why Kuyda Thinks Chat-Only Agents Fall Short
In a post on X, Kuyda argued that the new Wabi experience better serves consumers who want more than a text box.
"The more you use a chat-only agent, the worse the experience gets. Your history and ongoing tasks end up buried in one endless scroll," she wrote. "People don't just want to type-type-type; they want to tap-tap-tap, scroll, and look. They love what agents can do, but they also like software. The most powerful agent will be the one that combines both."
The core idea: when a user asks the agent to complete a task, Wabi 2.0 can generate a purpose-built interface on the fly.
Interfaces That Appear When You Need Them
Kuyda offered concrete examples of how this works in practice. In a health-focused thread, a user could spin up a calorie tracker, a weightlifting log, and a weight tracker — each accessible alongside the conversation.
In a family-oriented thread, the agent could build a calendar for the kids' activities, a language-learning app, or a tool that surfaces local kid-friendly events — covering parenting, household management, and children's interests.
"So far, personal agents have been one person, one chat, a stream of one-off tasks," Kuyda wrote. "We think the future is your agent, your apps, and your people in one place, running the parts of life that matter most, together."
Availability: Invite-Only
Wabi 2.0 is currently gated behind invite codes, which Kuyda is distributing via X.
via TechCrunch AI