OpenAI has launched a new app directory inside ChatGPT, enabling users to connect apps directly to their AI conversations. According to OpenAI, apps extend ChatGPT interactions by providing new context and letting users take actions such as ordering groceries, creating slide decks, or searching for apartments. Connector apps like Google Drive are now simply referred to as “apps.”
The directory is available across iOS, Android, and web platforms, divided into Feature, Lifestyle, and Productivitycategories. Popular apps like Booking.com, Spotify, and Dropbox are included. To use an app, users click “Connect,” authorize access, and can then start a chat related to the app. For example, Dropbox users can “gather insights, prepare briefs, and summarize reports or internal documents.” Connected apps can also be accessed via @ mentions in conversations.
The update includes an Apple Music app, which allows users to find music, create playlists, and manage libraries through chat, similar to Spotify. DoorDash integration lets users convert recipes, meal plans, and pantry staples into actionable shopping carts directly from ChatGPT.
Developer Access and Monetization
OpenAI is also opening submissions for developers to publish apps in ChatGPT. Developers can follow the company’s app submission guidelines and leverage resources such as open-source example apps, a UI library for chat-native interfaces, a quickstart guide, and the SDK introduced in October.
Currently, developers can monetize apps by linking users to native apps or websites, though OpenAI is exploring internal monetization options in the future. Privacy remains a priority, with developers required to provide clear policies regarding data usage.
The new app directory is part of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s vision to make ChatGPT more versatile with custom “GPT” bots. Alongside apps, OpenAI has recently enhanced ChatGPT with faster and more precise image generation through its flagship ChatGPT Images model, which introduces a dedicated workspace and the lower-cost GPT Image 1.5 API. The company has also rolled out upgrades to the underlying GPT models, improving reasoning, multimodal understanding, and instruction-following capabilities, all aimed at making ChatGPT a more powerful and seamless tool for users across creative, productivity, and everyday tasks.