OpenAI has introduced Apps in ChatGPT. What does it mean?

I know you love using ChatGPT as much as I do and now, we’re about to love it even more. OpenAI has just introduced Apps in ChatGPT, and it changes everything about how we use it.

Until now, ChatGPT was powerful but mostly self-contained you could chat, learn, and create, but it couldn’t do much outside the chat. Now it can reach into the real world through apps like Spotify, Canva, Zillow, or Booking.com, everything from inside your conversation.

This isn’t a small update. It’s the start of ChatGPT becoming your daily workspace, your travel planner, your creative studio, your everything-assistant.

What “Apps in ChatGPT” actually means

Think of it like this: ChatGPT just got the power to talk to other apps for you.

Say you’re planning a trip — ChatGPT can open Booking.com or Expedia inside your chat, show you hotels, and help you book without switching tabs. Designing a poster? It can launch Canva right there, so you drag, drop, and tweak your design in the same window. Need a workout playlist? Just ask Spotify through ChatGPT, and it will show your songs on the spot.

And yes when an app connects, ChatGPT will ask for your permission and tell you exactly what information it’s sharing. You stay in control.

This makes ChatGPT feel less like a chatbot and more like an operating system for conversations. Everything happens naturally, inside one flow.

Why it matters - for you, your team, and your business

No more app-hopping. You can book a trip, check real estate, or brainstorm a marketing plan without opening five tabs. ChatGPT does the heavy lifting, coordinating the tools you already use.

Because it understands context, it can even suggest the right app at the right time. Talk about designing slides, and ChatGPT might bring in Figma or Canva automatically. It’s like having a smart assistant who knows your next move.

This is bigger than a convenience feature. It’s a new kind of digital platform. OpenAI just opened a marketplace where developers can build and publish their own ChatGPT apps using the new Apps SDK.

There’s also a new open protocol (called Model Context Protocol, or MCP) that allows these apps to work across different AI systems. So this could be the beginning of a unified ecosystem where your data and tools talk to each other seamlessly.

The bigger picture: power, privacy, and potential

Of course, every innovation needs guardrails. OpenAI says apps must clearly show what data they access, and users must approve every connection. That’s a good sign, though it’ll take time to see how developers handle privacy responsibly.

There’s also a new challenge for app makers: if your app lives inside ChatGPT, the experience has to feel fast, elegant, and trustworthy. Bad design will stick out immediately.

Still, this is a major leap. Apps are already rolling out to ChatGPT users outside the European Union, with early partners like Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, Figma, Spotify, and Zillow. Expect more to follow quickly.

Thank you for reading - Arjus