Open AI set to rival Google and Apple with New Updated Feature

Based on recent announcements, OpenAI has launched a significant new feature called “Apps” in ChatGPT, changing the entirety of the platform from a standalone chatbot into an interactive ecosystem

This move not only allows third-party services to integrate directly into the chat interface but also enabling users to complete tasks while interacting with popular apps without leaving their conversation.

In this blog post, we will be giving a detailed discussion of the new launch.


In October, 2025, OpenAI announced a major shift telling its users that ChatGPT will no longer be just a conversational AI. It is now a platform hosting third-party apps directly inside your chat. Isn’t that super cool?
Here’s what’s going on, why it matters, and what to watch out for.

What Are Apps in ChatGPT?
Apps in ChatGPT are not single mobile apps like those on your phone. Instead, they are integrations from third-party companies that can be called upon and used directly within the chat each time you decide to use them.

When a user opens an app, it can render a custom, interactive user interface (UI) inside the chat window. For example, during preparations for travel, a user could integrate this in searching for hotels and instead of just getting a list of links for hotels, the Booking.com app can display an interactive map with live pricing.
Also, in graphic design, the Canva app can generate a design based on your conversation and let you edit it on the spot.

How It Works:
The first time you use an app, ChatGPT will ask for your permission to connect your account for that service (e.g., logging into your Spotify or Figma account).

Users can interact with these new apps by:

1. Direct Call in: You can "call" using the voice command feature any app by name at the start of your prompt.

Example: "Spotify, make a 'study' playlist for me with some instrumental jazz music."

Another example: "Zillow, show me a 1-bedroom rental listings under $2,000/month in Austin, TX."

More Proactive Suggestions: ChatGPT will automatically suggest using an app just by detecting your intent.

Example: If you write, "I need to plan a trip to Bodrum next month," ChatGPT might respond with a suggestion to use the Expedia or Booking.com app to find flights and hotels. A bonus point will be even narrowing down your needs to what you can afford.

2. Another way of connecting to this feature is by using the Chatgpt chat feature, which is common to all users.

Initial Launch Partners
OpenAI launched this feature with a set of prominent partners, demonstrating a wide range of capabilities:

● Travel: Booking.com, Expedia
● Design & Creativity: Canva, Figma
● Music: Spotify
● Real Estate: Zillow
● Education: Coursera

OpenAI has also made announcements that more apps are on the way, including DoorDash, OpenTable, Target, and Uber. So, users can look forward to using these apps in the near future.

Here are some of the core new features:

1. Apps embedded in conversations
Developers can now build web-based mini-apps that run inside ChatGPT’s interface. In other words, instead of leaving the chat to open another website or tool, you stay in ChatGPT, and a component from another service appears.

For example, if you mention you need a poster design, ChatGPT invokes Canva inside the chat, you pick a template, and ChatGPT helps you edit it.

2. Apps SDK announced
OpenAI introduced an “Apps SDK” (software development kit) built on their internal Model Context Protocol (MCP). This allows developers to connect tool logic + UI + the chat environment to create these embedded experiences.
Initial partners
At launch, apps from major services are included:

Spotify – e.g., create playlists

Canva, Figma – design tools
ChatGPT as an OS-like layer
OpenAI views ChatGPT not just as a chatbot but as a kind of “operating system” or “runtime layer” for apps. It has become a place where you both chat and act.

This update signals OpenAI's long-term ambition to evolve ChatGPT from a tool into a central platform or "chat-driven operating system.”"
By integrating these services directly into the chat, OpenAI is creating a new paradigm for how users interact with software, one that bypasses traditional app stores from Apple and Google, creating a parallel competition with tech giants like Apple and Google.

Slowly but surely, open AI is shaping the demand for AI tools by providing their users with new feature like this. Right now, it narrowed the bridge of users needing to navigate multiple websites and apps, the goal here is for them to state their intent in natural language and have the AI coordinate the necessary services to get the job done.

What does this do for developers?

Building an app that shows up in ChatGPT means access to a very large user base.
This new big new reach & model offers a new perspective and It’s an attractive proposition, where developers can tap into the chat interface, combine their logic/UX with ChatGPT’s conversational power, and potentially monetize via this new platform. Isn’t that amazing

If done well, you could ask ChatGPT to basically do almost anything custom from “Creating a birthday gift idea, to even picking something under $50, ordering it, and then schedule delivery” all inside one interface. It could significantly streamline many tasks from just the click of a prompt.

How it works (the tech side)

Here’s a breakdown of some of the mechanics:

Apps run in sandboxed iframes inside a ChatGPT conversation. The UI is web-based (HTML/JavaScript/CSS, frameworks like React or Vue).

There is a bridge (window.openai) that the iframe uses to exchange data with the chat environment: e.g., the chat model triggers the app, passes parameters, and gets results back.

The logic is divided: the chat model reasons about what to do → trigger the tool/server → UI renders results inside chat. This division aligns with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) design.
The New Stack

UX guidelines: Apps are expected to look & feel like they’re native to ChatGPT (style, theme, accessibility).
We are currently seeing the birth of a new ecosystem in artificial intelligence. This move opens the door for a massive influx of "conversational apps," creating a new frontier for developers and businesses to reach more users.

This feature is rolling out to all ChatGPT users, including those on Free, Plus, and Pro plans, starting in markets outside of the European Union.

Risks & Challenges

As exciting as this is, there are several important caveats to look out for:

1. Safety, privacy & trust
Third-party apps inside ChatGPT will now have access (based on user consent) to conversation context, potentially user data, and may perform actions (including transactions). This raises questions around: “Who is responsible if an app misbehaves?” “What guarantees do we have around data handling?”

2. Quality control & app-store dynamics
Just like early versions of mobile app stores, there’s a risk of low-quality apps, spam, or misleading experiences. OpenAI will need to run a robust review, curation, and ranking mechanisms to maintain trust and safety.

Final Thoughts

The announcement that ChatGPT now supports embedded apps marks a shift in AI assistants' tools, moving conversations from just being “just talk” to being more action oriented.
If executed properly, this could change how millions of AI users around the world interact with software. This change further translates into less context switching, more seamless integration of conversation and doing. It can turn ChatGPT into the hub of your digital life.

With that being said, with power comes responsibility. Trust, safety, quality, and fair ecosystem dynamics will be crucial. For users, the promise is huge, but the experience will matter just as much. For developers and businesses, this opens a new frontier but one with a new set of rules.





References: Tech Crunch, The new Stack, Arxix