UPDATE: We have been accepted to be an org for 2026!
Additional information: We are swamped with low-quality PRs, and it is getting in the way of our ability to evaluate anything. If you are submitting PRs to our repository:
- Compile AND TEST your code to be sure that it does what is intended.
- Complete the PR template checklist.
- Only submit UP TO TWO PRs at a time. Some people have submitted 9 or more, and we can't review that many fast enough to be useful for GSoC. If you have already submitted more than two PRs, please pick what you want us to review and close the others. You can reopen them later.
- If you are submitting a PR for a bug that is not an issue, you MUST provide instructions for how to reproduce the bug you are fixing. We do not accept "defensive programming" PRs.
Code that does not compile will result in the submitter being removed from consideration for GSoC.
Code that is unrelated to the stated purpose of the PR or ignored PR template will result in the PR being closed. Multiple occurrences will result into the submitter being removed from consideration.
We are no longer assigning issues because that process has been extremely abused. If you see an issue you want to work on that is assigned, feel free to ignore the assignment. We're still working through to unassign issues that were assigned and then ignored.
Note that you are NOT being judged by quantity of PRs. This is all about quality. One of the biggest things you need to demonstrate to us is that you can build and test App Inventor. One quality PR puts you in a very good place.
After submitting a quality PR, the best thing you can do to increase your chances of acceptance is to join this forum and engage here -- either asking questions or answering them. Asking good relevant questions is a big plus.
Information for people hoping to apply to this year's Google Summer of Code...
App Inventor does plan to apply to be an organization in GSoC if we're given the opportunity to do so. I haven't found the exact date the organizations will be announced, but it looks to be sometime in February. We won't know if App Inventor will be a part of GSoC 2026 until late February.
Assuming that we are able to apply to be an org and are selected, here is some information about MIT App Inventor that should help if you are interested in working with us:
- We accept proposals for 350-hour (large) and 175-hour projects (medium). We're accepting proposals for either size, but we've actually had better luck with 175-hour projects. So remember that larger isn't necessarily better.
- We do NOT accept proposals for "small" GSoC projects of 90 hours.
- We only accept proposals for the traditional June-August timeline. We are on the academic schedule and do not have the resources to mentor once classes start in the fall.
- In addition to the quality of your proposal, you'll need to demonstrate familiarity with App Inventor. The best way to do that is to have some contributions to link to as part of your application.
To get started with App Inventor, we recommend that you review the following documents and get your environment set up correctly.
- GitHub Readme: https://github.com/mit-cml/appinventor-sources
- Contributing to the MIT App Inventor Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZJlh5-U-eLAxXTvK2QxIrJklC3EjZgsavbIFe4FhxyA/edit#heading=h.57b2hufh8hwc
- How to build App Inventor from the MIT sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xc9yt02x3BRoq5m1PJHBr81OOv69rEBy8LVG_84j9jc/edit
- How to add a property: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ukpZXcd0fIn1fV0cNp4J00wrfwwA1daswU1yY6dqqfs/edit
- How to add a component: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xk9dMfczvjbbwD-wMsr-ffqkTlE3ga0ocCE1KOb2wvw/edit
We have a set of issues labeled "Help Wanted": https://github.com/mit-cml/appinventor-sources/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A"help+wanted" . This is the best place to find ways to contribute.
Before submitting a GSoC proposal, you will need to be able to successfully build your own copy of App Inventor and build a sufficiently complex app to show your grasp of how App Inventor works. Furthermore, knowledge of Java, JavaScript, and/or Swift are essential to a successful GSoC project. The App Inventor team is available to help answer inquiries if you ask your questions in GSoC forum category.
New information starting in 2026
We have had a deluge of low-quality code-generated PRs in the last few months. App Inventor is much too complicated for AI-generated PRs. Do not submit anything that you have not built and tested yourself. If you submit a PR that does not compile, you will NOT be considered for GSoC.
Please do not reply to this topic with questions. Instead, start a new topic with your specific question.
Regards,
Susan Rati Lane
Software Engineer, MIT App Inventor