OpenAI Launches App Store Inside ChatGPT - ForkLog: Cryptocurrencies, AI, Singularity, Future

# OpenAI Launches App Store Inside ChatGPT

OpenAI has launched an app store for ChatGPT. Developers can deploy their own products within the chatbot by submitting an application.

The first approved solutions will become available in 2026. The most in-demand tools in the future may receive priority in search results or recommendations from AI.

In the app catalog, users can browse available options. It is located in the “Tools” menu or on the website chatgpt.com/apps.

Available ChatGPT Applications. Source: OpenAI. Developers can place direct links on external platforms to redirect users straight to the app page in the catalog.

Once an app is connected, it activates during a conversation using @. The company is experimenting with their display without mentions — based on the conversation context, patterns of third-party solution usage, and user preferences.

To create such integrations, OpenAI introduced the Apps SDK. This toolkit allows embedding context and active actions directly into the ChatGPT interface.

“The most powerful applications have a clear focus, are intuitively understandable in chat, and provide clear value, either by completing real workflows that start with discussion or by creating new, fully AI-oriented capabilities within ChatGPT,” — the startup’s blog states.

In the early stages, developers will be allowed to redirect users to external resources for purchasing physical goods. Additional monetization options are being explored.

“Over time, we want applications in ChatGPT to be perceived as a natural extension of the dialogue — helping people move from ideas to actions and forming a sustainable ecosystem for developers,” — OpenAI noted.

In October, Sam Altman’s company announced the ability to create applications inside ChatGPT. As a result, users gained the ability to interact directly with services like Booking․com, Expedia, Spotify, Figma, Coursera, Zillow, Canva, and others.

In December, Adobe tools — Photoshop, Acrobat, and Express — appeared in the chatbot. Users can create designs and edit images and PDFs directly within the chatbot interface.

Red Code — Not New

Competition from Google and other AI companies prompted Altman to declare a “red code.”

It turned out that such a solution was not made for the first time. The startup’s management had already required employees to postpone secondary tasks and focus entirely on the main goal.

“We do this when we want to focus efforts on a specific topic,” said OpenAI Research Director Mark Chen.

The latest “red code” was announced amid the growing popularity of solutions from Google and Anthropic. Gemini is becoming an increasingly sought-after AI service and is already approaching ChatGPT in popularity.

In November, Google introduced the flagship model Gemini 3, which is “considered the best in the world.” Later, the company released a new version of the image generation tool — Nano Banana Pro.

Since the “red code,” OpenAI has released several updates in response to the American corporation’s solutions — GPT-5.2 and the new image generator ChatGPT Images — GPT Image 1.5.

Recall that in December, Google released the language model Gemini 3 Flash and made it standard in the Gemini app and AI mode in the search engine.