OpenAI has introduced an app platform for its ChatGPT chatbot, allowing users to integrate popular tools like Adobe Photoshop and Spotify directly within the interface. The feature rolled out shortly after developers were invited to submit apps, appearing first on the desktop version. This expansion aims to enhance ChatGPT's functionality for its over 800 million active users.
OpenAI announced on December 17 that developers could begin submitting apps for integration into ChatGPT. Just one day later, on December 18, these apps started appearing in the desktop version of the chatbot. The launch comes two months after OpenAI first revealed the beta feature and provided a development kit to builders.
At launch, the apps are organized into categories such as "Featured," "Lifestyle," and "Productivity," reminiscent of descriptions found in the Apple App Store or Google Play. Users can search for specific apps if they are not listed under these headings. Notable integrations include well-known services like Adobe Photoshop, Spotify, Canva, and Zillow.
To activate an app, users click a "Connect" button, granting ChatGPT access to its features. Once connected, prompts prefixed with an @ symbol invoke the app—for example, "@canva create a 2025 wrap presentation for my class." Many apps provide screenshots and example prompts to guide usage.
Checking connected apps requires navigating to Settings > Connected Apps, or in some versions, Settings > Data Controls > Connected Apps. As of testing, the feature was not yet available in the iOS version of the ChatGPT mobile app.
This development occurs amid ongoing legal scrutiny; in April, Ziff Davis, parent company of CNET, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI alleging copyright infringement in its AI training processes.
The app store expands ChatGPT's capabilities, blending third-party tools seamlessly into conversations without requiring separate downloads.
