Apps in ChatGPT — Chat with apps in ChatGPT

Introduction 🤝

I’m excited to share a detailed report on a major update we released at OpenAI: Apps in ChatGPT. In the video I published on the OpenAI channel, I announced that you can now chat with apps inside ChatGPT. That rollout begins today for Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users outside of the EU, with more pilot partner apps and broader availability coming soon.

In this article I’ll walk you through what “Apps in ChatGPT” means, why it matters, how it works, who can use it, the types of apps we expect to see, security and privacy considerations, developer pathways, real-world examples, best practices, and answers to common questions. My goal is to give you a clear, friendly, and practical guide so you can understand the feature, try it effectively, and evaluate how it might fit into your workflows or product plans.

"You can now chat with apps in ChatGPT."

"Apps in ChatGPT are starting to roll out today to Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users outside of the EU. More pilot partner apps and availability coming soon."

Overview 🧭

Apps in ChatGPT extends the chat experience by allowing ChatGPT to interact with live third-party applications and services. The core idea is simple but powerful: rather than being limited to generating text based on static training data and instructions, ChatGPT can now reach out to specialized apps to fetch real-time data, perform transactions, retrieve structured info, or take actions on behalf of a user — all within the same chat interface.

As I explained in the video, this is a step toward a more capable, integrated assistant that helps users accomplish practical tasks without leaving the chat. I’ll break down what that means in concrete terms and explain how it benefits different users.

Why apps in ChatGPT matter 🔍

When I think about the user experience of intelligent assistants, several friction points stand out. Users often need to switch contexts, sign into multiple services, or manually copy and paste data between apps. They rely on a set of tools — email, calendar, travel sites, food delivery, shopping, and more — and having to orchestrate these tools manually is time consuming and error-prone.

Apps in ChatGPT helps solve that by enabling a single conversational surface to integrate with multiple services. That brings several key benefits:

Contextual convenience: You can ask ChatGPT to perform tasks that require app-specific knowledge or access without having to leave the chat window.
Real-time data: ChatGPT can retrieve up-to-date information (prices, inventory, schedule changes) instead of relying only on static knowledge.
Actionable outcomes: The assistant can initiate actions like booking a restaurant, ordering a product, or drafting an email with real account access through partner apps.
Compositional workflows: Apps can be orchestrated together: e.g., check flights, compare prices, and then book the best option — all in a single flow.
Personalization: With permission, apps can surface your personalized data (reservations, preferences, past orders) to make suggestions that are relevant to you.

In short, I see this as a bridge between conversational intelligence and the web of services people already use every day.

How Apps in ChatGPT work ⚙️

At a high level, Apps in ChatGPT establishes secure, permissioned connections between ChatGPT and partner apps using well-defined interfaces. Here’s a clear breakdown of the user-facing and technical components involved.

1. User discovery and installation

Users discover partner apps through a marketplace-like experience inside ChatGPT. When you choose to enable an app, you typically grant the necessary permissions so ChatGPT can interact with it on your behalf. That might involve OAuth-style authorization, or another secure method provided by the partner.

2. Scoped permissions

Permissions are scoped and explicit — apps only get access to what you allow. The ChatGPT client mediates access and shows users what data or capabilities the app will have. This ensures transparency and gives users control over the data flow.

3. App connectors and adapters

Partner applications implement connectors (APIs or webhooks) that allow ChatGPT to invoke app-specific actions. From ChatGPT’s perspective, those connectors define the inputs the app expects and the outputs it will return. The integration typically includes:

Input schema: the parameters ChatGPT can send to the app (e.g., search query, date range, payment details).
Output schema: the structured information the app returns (e.g., flight options, available times, confirmation IDs).
Action verbs or endpoints: atomic operations the app supports (e.g., list, search, book, cancel, create).

4. Conversational orchestration

When a user makes a request that requires an app, ChatGPT determines the appropriate app to call. It will prompt the user if additional clarifications are needed (e.g., date preferences, budget). Once the user confirms, ChatGPT calls the app, receives structured results, and renders the answer back in the conversation with natural language explanations and suggested next steps.

5. Session continuity

Because the app interactions happen inside the chat, the conversation retains full context. If a user wants edits or follow-ups, ChatGPT uses the context and any app-provided data to continue the flow without re-authentication or redundant steps in many scenarios.

6. Security and audit logs

All app calls are subject to logging and monitoring to help maintain security and compliance. Users can review the actions performed and, in many cases, revoke app access or review a history of interactions.

Use cases and real-world examples 📱

To make this concrete, I want to walk through examples that show how apps in ChatGPT can be used across different domains. I frequently get asked about practical scenarios, so I’ll describe a variety of use cases with step-by-step flows that illustrate the benefit.

Travel planning and booking

Imagine you’re planning a weekend trip. You can ask ChatGPT to “find me round-trip flights from New York to Chicago next Friday to Sunday under $300.”

ChatGPT consults a travel app that provides live flight inventory.
The app returns several options with prices, timings, and seat availability.
I present the options in chat, highlight the fastest or cheapest, and recommend one based on your preferences.
After you pick, ChatGPT can book the flight through the app, generate a confirmation, and add the details to your calendar app (if you’ve granted that access).

That flow turns what would be a multi-site, manual task into a single conversational experience.

Food ordering and recommendations

If you’re hungry and want to order dinner, you can ask ChatGPT “what are my options for vegetarian Indian food nearby under $25 and deliverable now?”

ChatGPT queries a food delivery partner to get real-time menus, delivery times, and prices.
I summarize the top choices, show estimated delivery times, and flag ratings or special offers.
When you decide, I can place the order and provide an estimated arrival time and tracking information inside the chat.

Product research and shopping

When researching a product, ChatGPT can query retail partners for live inventory and prices. For example, “find me a noise-canceling headset under $200 with battery life over 20 hours.”

ChatGPT runs searches across partner stores, compiles results, and compares specs side-by-side.
I surface the top picks, identify which stores have in-stock items, and include links to buy.
When you want to buy, I can proceed with checkout through a partner app if you’ve enabled that capability.

Productivity and scheduling

Apps in ChatGPT can integrate with calendar and email apps. Ask me: “Schedule a 30-minute sync with the design team next week and propose three times.”

I check your calendar (with permission), see free slots, propose times, and draft an email invite or meeting request.
If the team uses a scheduling app, I can create the meeting and include a meeting link and agenda.

Financial and banking tasks

With appropriate security and regulatory considerations, apps could offer tasks like checking balances, paying bills, or transferring funds.

I can present current balances, recent transactions, and make payment suggestions.
All such actions require strong authentication and explicit consent for each operation.

Developer tools and site administration

Developers and administrators can benefit from having ChatGPT interface with monitoring, deployment, and analytics tools. Ask: “Show me open issues labeled ‘high priority’ and draft responses for two of them.”

I can pull data from issue trackers, summarize the top items, and suggest replies or deployment steps.
For certain operations, I can create tickets, schedule rollbacks, or trigger CI/CD pipelines within the limits granted by the app.

Privacy, safety, and security 🔒

When apps are allowed to access user data and perform actions, privacy and security are the top priorities. I want to be explicit about the design principles and mechanisms we use to protect users.

Principles guiding the integrations

User control: Users explicitly grant permissions for each app integration. You can review and revoke access at any time.
Minimum access: Apps request only the data they need. Scopes are narrow and described clearly at install time.
Transparency: Every action that an app performs on your behalf is surfaced in the chat, including confirmations and receipts.
Auditability: Logs are kept for actions taken so users and administrators can review what happened and when.
Security best practices: Integrations use secure authentication (OAuth and equivalent mechanisms), encrypted transport, and follow partner security standards.

Authentication and authorization

Most app integrations will use industry-standard authentication flows. When you enable an app, you will typically be directed to authenticate with the third-party provider and grant the requested scopes. ChatGPT stores tokens securely and uses them only to perform the actions you authorized.

For sensitive operations (financial transactions, account changes), we recommend multi-factor authentication and re-confirmation within the chat before critical actions are executed.

Data handling and retention

Data passed between ChatGPT and apps is handled according to privacy policies for both OpenAI and the partner app. I encourage users to review partner privacy policies during installation so they know how their data may be stored or used by that provider.

From my end at OpenAI, we design the experience to minimize unnecessary data exposure. Conversations and app responses are stored and logged for safety, quality, and debugging, and users have controls over their data within their ChatGPT account settings.

Content safety

When actions are performed on your behalf, we apply safety checks to prevent misuse. For example, the assistant will decline to perform actions that appear fraudulent, illegal, or otherwise unsafe. Partners can also enforce additional business rules before accepting requests from ChatGPT.

Developer perspective: building apps for ChatGPT 👩‍💻

If you’re a developer or company looking to build an app that integrates with ChatGPT, here’s what I’d recommend and what to expect.

Designing for conversational flows

Design your app around the idea that it will be invoked within a natural language conversation. This means:

Define clear, atomic actions your app supports (search, list, create, update, confirm).
Design concise input and output schemas so ChatGPT can easily translate between natural language and app parameters.
Provide helpful error messages and structured fallback data so ChatGPT can gracefully handle edge cases.

API and webhook best practices

Your API should be reliable and responsive. Latency matters — if an app call takes too long, the chat experience suffers. Some implementation tips:

Implement paginated responses for list operations so ChatGPT can show a preview and fetch more on demand.
Return structured data with clear fields and types to make it easier for ChatGPT to format responses.
Use idempotent endpoints for actions that might be invoked multiple times (e.g., a create operation can be safely retried or checked).
Provide webhooks for long-running actions so ChatGPT can notify users when an action completes rather than blocking.

Security and compliance

Follow security best practices: use TLS, validate tokens, and implement rate limiting and anomaly detection. For regulated domains (finance, healthcare), ensure you meet relevant compliance standards and be explicit about what app-level data is shared with ChatGPT.

Onboarding and user experience

When users install your app inside ChatGPT, they expect a smooth onboarding. Provide clear descriptions of what your app does, why it needs each permission, and examples of what it can do in natural language. Sample prompts and suggested use cases will reduce friction and increase adoption.

Rollout and availability 🌍

At launch, Apps in ChatGPT is rolling out to Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users outside of the EU, with more pilot partner apps and region expansion planned. Here’s how I’m thinking about the rollout and what to expect.

Phased rollout strategy

We’re using a phased approach for several reasons:

Operational stability: Gradual rollout helps us monitor system load and app performance under real-world usage and scale safely.
Partner onboarding: Rolling out with pilot partners lets us iterate on the integration patterns and deliver polished experiences.
Regulatory and compliance: Different regions have different legal requirements. We’re expanding availability while ensuring compliance with local laws and partner policies.

Which users get access first

Initially, access is being provided to users outside the EU across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. This includes a mix of general availability and limited pilot programs for early adopter partners. Over time, availability will expand, more apps will be launched, and regions will be added.

Pilot partners and ecosystem growth

Pilot partners are critical. They help define best practices for integration, give early users tangible value, and provide feedback that helps improve the developer experience. As the ecosystem grows, expect to see apps across travel, food, retail, productivity, finance, and developer tooling.

Best practices and tips ✨

To get the most out of Apps in ChatGPT, I recommend these practical tips based on what we’ve learned during pilot testing and early experiments.

Enable thoughtfully

Only enable apps you trust and that you understand why they need the permissions they request. I always review the scopes before granting access and revoke anything I’m no longer using.

Be explicit in your prompts

Clear instructions reduce ambiguity. Instead of asking “help me find a flight,” try “find the cheapest round-trip flight from SFO to JFK for July 18–21 with no red-eyes and under $400.” Precise constraints help ChatGPT decide which app calls to make and what parameters to pass.

Use follow-up clarifications

If the app returns several options, use follow-ups like “prioritize nonstop flights” or “prefer refundable fares” to refine results. ChatGPT will adapt and re-query the app as needed.

Check confirmations carefully

Before ChatGPT finalizes a transaction through an app, confirm the details. Chat can hold a preview of the action and require your explicit confirmation before completing purchases or sensitive operations.

Manage your connected apps

Regularly review connected apps in your ChatGPT settings. Revoke or update access for apps you don’t use frequently. This reduces exposure and keeps your integrations tidy.

Troubleshooting and common pitfalls 🛠️

No launch is without bumps. Here are common issues users may encounter and how to handle them.

App not appearing

Check availability: Apps are rolling out to specific regions and plans. If you’re in the EU or your plan isn’t in the initial rollout, the app list may be limited.
Update client: Ensure your ChatGPT client is up to date; some features require the latest client build.
Account permissions: Confirm that your account has the right permissions and that any organizational restrictions (if using a work account) aren’t blocking app installation.

Failed app actions

Timeouts: Some back-end APIs may experience latencies. Try again or check the partner's status page.
Authentication errors: Re-authenticate the app if tokens expire or were revoked.
Validation issues: Ensure that the inputs you provided meet the app’s expected format (dates in the right format, numeric values where required).

Unexpected behavior

If an app returns unexpected results, I recommend checking the app’s permissions and logs (if available) and contacting the partner’s support. You can also provide feedback through ChatGPT so we can investigate integration issues.

Governance, legal, and compliance considerations 📜

For enterprises and organizations, there are governance questions worth considering when enabling apps inside ChatGPT.

Data residency: Does the partner store data in a particular region? Ensure it meets your data residency requirements.
Auditability: Keep records of actions performed by the assistant, especially those that affect finances or customer data.
Access controls: For team accounts, use role-based access to control which users can install or use specific apps.
Compliance: For regulated industries, validate that both OpenAI’s practices and partner policies meet applicable standards (HIPAA, PCI, GDPR — where applicable).

FAQ ❓

Who can use Apps in ChatGPT?

At launch, Apps in ChatGPT is available to Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users outside of the EU. Availability will expand over time as we add more partners and regions.

Do I have to grant apps access to my data?

Yes — apps require permission to access data or perform actions. You will see a clear consent flow describing what the app will access. You can revoke access at any time.

Are apps secure?

We require partners to use secure authentication and encryption. Apps are subject to monitoring and audit controls. However, always evaluate third-party apps and consider the sensitivity of the data you share.

Can ChatGPT act without my confirmation?

By default, critical actions require explicit user confirmation. For non-sensitive queries (like searching for a movie time), the app may return results without additional confirmation, but anything that initiates a purchase, transaction, or account change will require you to confirm.

Will my chat history include app responses?

Yes, app responses and the assistant's conversation will be part of the chat history. You can review, delete, or export your chat history as supported by your account settings.

How do developers get started?

Developers interested in integrating their apps with ChatGPT should look for the developer documentation and partner program announcements. Start by designing clear API endpoints, defining input/output schemas, and following security best practices.

Future roadmap and what’s next 🚀

Looking ahead, my goal for Apps in ChatGPT is to expand both the breadth of apps and the depth of capabilities. Some priorities include:

Adding more pilot partners across industries so users have a wider set of real-world tasks they can accomplish in-chat.
Improving developer tooling to make integrations easier, faster, and more reliable.
Enhancing permission controls and enterprise governance features for organizations.
Expanding availability to more regions, including the EU, while ensuring compliance with local laws.
Enabling richer multi-app orchestration so complex workflows can be automated across several services.

I’m excited by the potential for Apps in ChatGPT to become a connective layer between human intent and the digital services people rely on daily. We’ll continue to iterate based on user feedback and partner collaborations.

Case studies and pilot insights 📊

During our pilot phase with early partners, several patterns emerged that shaped how we built the product:

Speed and clarity matter

Apps that provided clear, structured responses and low-latency endpoints delivered the best user experiences. Partners who returned results with well-defined fields (title, price, ETA, ID) allowed the assistant to format output cleanly and ask relevant follow-ups.

Micro-interactions were highly effective

Short, stepwise interactions — where ChatGPT asked a quick clarification question and the app returned a scoped result — led to higher task completion rates. Users responded well to conversational check-ins and confirmations before committing to an action.

Trust builds with transparency

Displaying receipts, confirmation IDs, and a clear audit trail increased user confidence. Partners that offered explicit links to view or manage actions in their native apps saw fewer support escalations.

How I recommend you get started — a practical walkthrough 🧭

If you want to try Apps in ChatGPT today, here’s a simple, practical walkthrough you can follow to get comfortable with the experience.

Open ChatGPT: Sign in to your ChatGPT account. Make sure you’re in a region where Apps in ChatGPT is available and that your client is up to date.
Explore apps: Browse the apps marketplace within the chat interface and read descriptions and permissions carefully.
Install an app: Choose a non-critical app (e.g., a travel search or a news feed) and go through the authorization flow to grant minimal access.
Try a simple query: Ask a clear, specific question that leverages the app (e.g., “Find dinner options for vegetarian Italian restaurants open now within 2 miles”).
Refine results: Use follow-up prompts to filter, sort, or change preferences (e.g., “only show places with 4+ star ratings”).
Confirm actions: If you decide to act (place an order, book, or schedule), carefully review the confirmation presented and accept only when you’re ready.
Review connected apps: Go to your settings and look at the connected apps to confirm what you’ve granted and revoke when you’re finished testing.

Closing thoughts ✅

Apps in ChatGPT represents a meaningful step toward assistants that do more than give advice — they act on your behalf and help you complete tasks by integrating with the services you already use. As I mentioned in the original OpenAI video announcing this feature, the goal is to create useful, trustworthy integrations that simplify real-world workflows.

My team and I will continue to iterate on reliability, privacy, developer tooling, and regional availability. I encourage you to try Apps in ChatGPT if it’s available in your region. Start small, review permissions, and provide feedback — your experience will help shape the ecosystem.

If you’re a developer interested in integrating, prioritize clear APIs, secure auth, and thoughtful UX, and reach out through the partner channels we’ve provided. If you’re a user, explore the apps, try sample prompts, and let us know where you’d like to see integrations next.

Thank you for reading — and thank you for using ChatGPT as we expand its capabilities to connect you to the services that matter. If you have questions or want help getting started, I’m here to help.