Google Labs Unveils Opal: Accelerating AI App Development for Everyone
Serge Bulaev
Google Opal is a new tool from Google Labs that lets anyone build simple AI apps without needing to code. Users just describe what they want, and Opal turns their ideas into working miniapps in minutes. With easy draganddrop features and readymade templates, you can quickly create, test, and share apps with a simple link. It's especially helpful for teachers, startups, and nontechnical users who want to make quick prototypes. Right now, Opal is only available in the US and is designed for
Google Opal is a new tool from Google Labs that lets anyone build simple AI apps without needing to code. Users just describe what they want, and Opal turns their ideas into working mini-apps in minutes. With easy drag-and-drop features and ready-made templates, you can quickly create, test, and share apps with a simple link. It's especially helpful for teachers, startups, and non-technical users who want to make quick prototypes. Right now, Opal is only available in the US and is designed for small projects, not big production apps.
What is Google Opal and how does it help users build AI apps?
Google Opal is a no-code platform within Google Labs (US-only beta) that enables anyone to create, test, and share mini AI apps using natural language prompts. Users describe their ideas, customize visual workflows, and instantly publish shareable apps without programming skills.
Google Labs just pulled back the curtain on Opal , a new experimental platform that lets anyone 6 even without a single line of code 6 build, test and share palm-sized AI apps. Think of it as Lego for prompt chains: you describe what you want in plain English, and Opal turns the idea into a working web mini-app in minutes.
What exactly is Opal?
Opal sits inside Google Labs as a US-only public beta (as of late July 2025).
It targets three groups especially:
- Non-technical users who need quick prototypes
- *Educators * building classroom tools
- *Start-ups * validating product ideas before hiring developers
The workflow is deliberately simple:
- Type a prompt 6 e.g. *
Make an app that summarises customer feedback from a Google Sheet. - Opal drafts a visual flowchart of every step (inputs, AI calls, outputs).
- Tweak any block with natural language or drag-and-drop.
- Press *Publish * 6 the app gets a shareable link that any Google-account holder can open.
Core tricks under the hood
| Feature | What it does | Everyday example |
|---|---|---|
| Prompt chaining | Links several AI prompts in sequence | Write survey |
| analyse sentiment | ||
| email summary to manager | ||
| Template gallery | 20+ starter mini-apps ready to remix | Instant meeting-notes extractor, weather notifier, simple CRM |
| Live preview | See output after each step | Catch logic errors before publishing |
| Shareable URL | No servers to set up | Send link, done |
Speed stats from early users
According to Baytech Consulting, marketing teams have slashed prototype time from two weeks to 45 minutes using Opals templates.
SiliconANGLE reports that educators built a vocabulary-quiz app for 150 students in under an hour during a workshop.
Current limits you should know
| Limit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Geography | US-only beta; no announced expansion date[^2] |
| Scale | Optimised for prototypes, not high-traffic production apps |
| Custom domains | Not available 6 apps live on Opal-generated links |
| AI depth | Great for common tasks; specialised ML still needs Vertex AI |
How it stacks up (quick glance)
| Tool | Skill level | Best for | Typical build time |
|---|---|---|---|
| *Opal * | Zero code | Fast idea validation | 5 660 min |
| Microsoft Power Apps | Low code | Enterprise workflows | 1 64 hrs |
| Google AppSheet | Low code | Data-driven internal tools | 1 63 hrs |
Learn more: Google Labs