ChatGPT Now Supports Built-In Applications

OpenAI just changed the game for how we interact with artificial intelligence, and honestly, this feels like a really big deal. The company has officially launched a new way to use apps directly inside ChatGPT, and it’s the kind of update that could completely transform how millions of people get things done every day.

Starting this week, ChatGPT users can now access interactive apps from some of the biggest names in tech, including Spotify, Booking.com, Expedia, Figma, Coursera, Zillow, and Canva. The best part is that you don’t have to leave your chat to use them. Everything happens right there in your conversation with ChatGPT, which makes the whole experience feel natural and easy.

CEO Sam Altman made this announcement at OpenAI’s annual developer conference, DevDay 2025, and his vision is pretty clear. He wants ChatGPT to help people be more productive, more creative, and simply better at whatever they’re trying to do. This new feature is supposed to enable a fresh generation of apps that are interactive, adaptive, and personalized, apps you can actually have a conversation with.

If you’ve been using ChatGPT, you probably remember when OpenAI launched the GPT Store a while back. That was their first attempt at creating an app ecosystem around ChatGPT. The problem with that approach was that users had to go to a separate store to find apps, which honestly felt like an extra step nobody wanted to take. With this new system, apps just appear right inside your chat when you need them. That’s a massive improvement in how the whole thing works.

The way it functions is actually quite straightforward. You can call up different apps just by mentioning them in your conversation. Want to turn a rough sketch into a proper diagram? Just say “Figma, turn this sketch into a workable diagram.” Need to learn about machine learning? Ask “Coursera, can you teach me something about machine learning.” The app shows up instantly and you can interact with it right there.

One of the coolest demonstrations showed how the Zillow app works inside ChatGPT. Users could search for apartments in natural language, like “find me a two-bedroom apartment under two thousand dollars a month in Brooklyn.” ChatGPT then pulled up an interactive map showing all the available options, and you could keep chatting to learn more about each place. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes technology feel helpful instead of complicated.

ChatGPT will also be smart enough to suggest apps when it thinks they might be useful. If you’re planning a party and ask for music suggestions, it might automatically pull up the Spotify app so you can create a playlist right there. It’s the kind of thoughtful feature that makes the AI feel like it’s actually paying attention to what you need.

The technical side of this is built on something called the Model Context Protocol, which basically lets developers connect their services to AI systems. Apps can trigger actions, show fully interactive interfaces, and some can even display videos that stay pinned at the top of your screen while you work. For developers, OpenAI has released an Apps SDK, which is the toolkit they need to build these integrated experiences.

There’s also a practical benefit for people who already subscribe to these services. If you’re a Spotify Premium user or you have a Coursera account, you can log in directly through ChatGPT and access your personal features without switching between apps or websites. Everything stays in one place, which is how technology should work.

Altman also mentioned that OpenAI will support different ways for developers to make money from their apps in the future. The company recently launched something called Instant Checkout in ChatGPT, and it sounds like that will play a role in how people can buy things or subscribe to services without leaving their chat.

The timing of this launch makes a lot of sense. We’re at a point where AI chatbots have become genuinely useful for everyday tasks, but they’ve been limited by what they can actually do. Sure, ChatGPT can write, brainstorm, and answer questions, but until now, it couldn’t really help you book a flight or create a design or search for an apartment. This update removes those barriers.

Looking ahead, OpenAI says more apps are coming soon. DoorDash, Instacart, Uber, and AllTrails are all expected to launch inside ChatGPT in the near future. Imagine being able to order food, schedule a ride, or plan a hiking trip without ever leaving your conversation with ChatGPT. That’s where things are heading.

The bigger picture here is that OpenAI is trying to make ChatGPT into something more than just a chatbot. They want it to be a central hub for getting things done, a place where AI understands what you need and connects you with the right tools to make it happen. If they pull this off, it could change how we think about using apps altogether. Instead of opening ten different apps to accomplish something, you’d just have one conversation with ChatGPT and let it coordinate everything for you.

There are still questions about how this will all work in practice. Will these apps be as good as using the original standalone versions? How will privacy work when you’re sharing information across different services through ChatGPT? And will developers actually embrace this new platform, or will they see it as OpenAI trying to control too much of the user experience? These are important things that will become clearer as more people start using these features.

For now though, this feels like a genuine step forward in making AI more useful and less complicated. The best technology doesn’t make you think about how it works, it just helps you get things done. If OpenAI can deliver on that promise, this could be one of the most important updates ChatGPT has seen since it launched.