REA is an open-source tool for AI agents that "reverse engineer anything," in its own words: "from app behavior down to native binaries." It's on GitHub under the MIT license and one of the most-starred new repos of 2026. We run it every morning on our own site, and here's what that looks like in practice.
How we use REA: a daily phone check of our own pages
- What it does for us: every morning at 5:15 it opens our newest pages in a phone-sized Chrome and records what a person with a screen reader would hear: unnamed links, buttons and images, headings, and any errors.
- Its first catch (October 14): our live map had an image a screen reader announced with no name (the map's marker layer). It was labeled and live the same morning.
- Why it matters: most visitors here are on phones, many are older, and a page that reads well aloud reads well for everyone.
Where the line is
- Your own app or site: fair game. Learn how it behaves, find what breaks, fix it.
- Public pages: reading how a public page works is normal browsing.
- Not behind logins, paywalls or bot checks, and not to copy someone else's product. Videos say AI can "copy any app"; copying another company's code or design can break its terms or copyright. Read the terms, and ask a lawyer before you build on someone else's work.
Should you use it?
- You build software: try it on your own app first; the repo has the setup.
- You run a website: the most useful job is the one we use it for: a daily check that your pages work on a phone and read well aloud.
- You want it running without the setup: PJ wires the daily check for your site and shows you the results. Take your AI to the next level · Text PJ.
REA on GitHub (MIT license). Read October 14, 2026.
Need a human?
This page is built every morning from public data by SideGuy, run by PJ, a local in Solana Beach. If something looks off, or you want a hand with your plans, text PJ at 858-461-8054. A real person answers.
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Questions people ask
What is REA on GitHub?
An open-source tool, under the MIT license, that lets AI agents "reverse engineer anything, from app behavior down to native binaries," in the repo's own words.
Can AI really copy any app?
Tools like REA can study how an app behaves. Copying another company's code or design can break its terms or copyright, so the safe uses are your own app and public pages; ask a lawyer before building on someone else's work.
What is REA good for on a website?
Checking your own pages: we run it every morning to open new pages in a phone-sized browser and list what a screen reader would miss, like unnamed images or buttons.
Know someone who needs this?
Got a question about this? Ask PJ a question. A real person in Solana Beach texts you back.
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More free local tools: the North County toolkit.