OpenAI has transformed ChatGPT from a standalone chatbot into a dynamic app platform by launching apps inside ChatGPT, enabling users to interact with third-party services directly within conversations. Unveiled at the company’s DevDay 2025 conference on October 6, 2025, the initiative leverages a new Apps SDK (in preview) to let developers embed interactive, adaptive apps—such as generating designs in Canva or searching properties on Zillow—seamlessly in ChatGPT responses. For developers, creators, and users searching OpenAI apps inside ChatGPT, ChatGPT Apps SDK DevDay 2025, or interactive AI apps ChatGPT, this evolution—starting with partners like Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, Figma, Spotify, and Zillow—positions ChatGPT as an “AI operating system” for personalized, chat-based experiences. CEO Sam Altman described it as enabling “a new generation of apps that are interactive, adaptive, and personalized, that you can chat with,” with monetization options like in-app purchases via the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) coming later this year. Available immediately for logged-in users outside the EU on Free, Plus, and Pro plans (starting in English), the feature includes a directory for browsing apps, with more partners like DoorDash, OpenTable, Target, and Uber rolling out in the coming weeks.
This builds on OpenAI’s earlier GPT Store (launched January 2024 with 3 million custom GPTs) but embeds apps directly into chats for a more seamless experience, with context-aware suggestions and login support for subscribed services.
Apps SDK: Building and Distributing Interactive Experiences
The Apps SDK, available in preview, empowers developers to create apps that feel native to ChatGPT, using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for secure data connections and natural language invocation.
- Development Process: Build with OpenAI’s Responses API; apps appear in chats via mentions (e.g., “@Canva, create a poster”).
- Monetization: Upcoming support for in-app purchases via ACP, enabling revenue from features like premium designs or bookings.
- Guidelines: Draft criteria ensure design consistency, accessibility, and suitability; high-quality apps get featured prominently.
- Submission: Opens later 2025; initial pilots with seven apps, expanding to ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, and Edu.
Demos showcased Canva generating posters from text, Zillow embedding maps for property searches, and Coursera elaborating on video lessons—all inline.
| Partner App | Functionality | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Booking.com | Travel Bookings | Today |
| Canva | Design Generation | Today |
| Coursera | Learning Assistance | Today |
| Expedia | Trip Planning | Today |
| Figma | Diagram Creation | Today |
| Spotify | Playlist Management | Today |
| Zillow | Property Search | Today |
| DoorDash, Uber, etc. | Commerce & Services | Weeks Ahead |
Implications: ChatGPT as an AI Operating System
This launch evolves ChatGPT into a versatile platform:
- User Benefits: Contextual app suggestions make tasks like planning trips or designing slides conversational.
- Developer Opportunities: Access to 800 million weekly users, with monetization via ACP.
- Ecosystem Growth: Challenges app stores by embedding experiences, potentially disrupting Apple/Google models.
Altman: “ChatGPT is becoming an operating system for apps.”
Conclusion: Apps Inside ChatGPT: The Conversational Future
OpenAI’s apps inside ChatGPT launch at DevDay 2025 turns the chatbot into an interactive hub with partners like Figma and Spotify. The Apps SDK empowers developers for monetized, contextual experiences. For users, it’s effortless productivity—will it redefine app discovery? The chats expand. Tech crunch
