OpenAI’s major update now empowers ChatGPT with direct access to third-party applications. Announced at DevDay 2025 in San Francisco, the Apps SDK transforms ChatGPT from a simple conversational AI into a cross-platform hub for popular services, including Spotify, Canva, and Zillow.
For its 800 million weekly users, the integration means that everyday tasks, such as creating a playlist or searching for a home, become seamless and conversational experiences.
Users outside the EU can immediately activate trusted partners to manage music, travel, design, or real estate within the familiar chat interface.
What Does the Apps SDK Enable in ChatGPT?
The Apps SDK transforms ChatGPT into a robust platform that extends far beyond text-based conversations, enabling users to leverage natural language commands to trigger actions in third-party apps.
By typing requests such as "Spotify, make a playlist for my party," users see apps embedded directly within their chats, reducing friction and combining services in a single workflow.
This shift marks a significant leap in digital assistant functionality, opening up new opportunities for enhanced productivity and personalization.
App integrations operate through lightweight cards or expanded experiences, providing options for simple tasks, such as playing media or displaying travel details, as well as advanced workflows, including sketching and collaboration.
Developers can decide how their apps appear, ranging from compact previews to immersive, interactive interfaces that suit different user needs.
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Who Are the Major Partners Driving Adoption?
OpenAI secured immediate support from industry leaders across several sectors. Partners, including Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, Figma, Spotify, and Zillow, joined at launch, emphasizing ChatGPT’s broad appeal and flexibility.
These integrations had a direct market impact, as evidenced by Figma’s stock rising sharply following a prominent showcase during Sam Altman’s keynote. Each partner utilizes ChatGPT’s conversational engine to enhance user experiences.
For instance, Spotify promises privacy by walling off music and podcast content from AI model training, while Zillow introduces a guided, conversation-first approach for discovering real estate.
The platform automatically suggests relevant apps based on context, such as travel queries or design tasks.
How Does the Integration Process Work for Users?
Activating apps in ChatGPT is designed to be effortless. Users initiate commands in natural language, prompting the chatbot to display app options. Initial access requires connecting accounts and approving data permission requests, setting a secure baseline.
Future interactions run more smoothly, as ChatGPT remembers preferences and delivers results instantly through contextual prompts tailored to individual habits and interests.
This seamless handoff ensures users can remain within ChatGPT for most routine and advanced tasks, whether creating party playlists or consulting Figma’s design suite.
The system is designed to prioritize privacy and compliance, providing users with transparency over data sharing at every step, as highlighted in partner statements and OpenAI’s rollout materials.
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What Is the Technical Foundation Behind the SDK?
Underpinning the Apps SDK is the open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP), first developed by Anthropic. This protocol standardizes secure connections between AI systems and external tools, defining how features and users interact with apps inside ChatGPT.
MCP paves the way for both simple card-based widgets and full-screen collaborative experiences ranging from maps to presentations.
The SDK also enables rapid updates and broader compatibility, ensuring developers and businesses can scale new integrations with minimal friction.
By creating a common technical language for external apps, OpenAI facilitates innovation and leverages community expertise, supporting over 4 million developers building new app features for ChatGPT’s platform.
What Are OpenAI’s Next Steps for the App Ecosystem?
OpenAI’s roadmap includes accepting third-party app submissions, launching a public directory, and introducing instant app checkout options.
Future releases will expand access to brands such as DoorDash, Uber, Instacart, Peloton, Khan Academy, and TripAdvisor, continually growing the ecosystem.
The company aims for ChatGPT to become as versatile as an operating system, enabling users to access services and complete tasks across various verticals without needing to leave their chat session.
Scaling also means supporting over 800 million weekly ChatGPT users, and offering new paths for developers and companies that want to participate in the growing conversational app market.
OpenAI sees this shift as the basis for a new wave of user-centric, integrated AI applications. Looking ahead, the Apps SDK positions ChatGPT as a central dashboard for the expanding universe of AI-powered services.
As more partners are onboard and developers tap into platform capabilities, conversational AI may evolve into daily infrastructure for work, creativity, and personal life, setting new standards for digital ecosystems in every sector.
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