ChatGPT Apps Are Here: What They Are, Why They Matter, and What Comes Next
ChatGPT is no longer just a chat interface. With the rollout of Apps, it is becoming a platform where you can connect tools and services directly inside a conversation, and actually get work done end to end, not just talk about it.
In this post, I will explain what “Apps in ChatGPT” means in practice, why this shift matters, and how to think about Apps as a user today. I will also outline what to expect next, both for everyday users and for developers.
What are Apps in ChatGPT?
Apps are tool integrations that let ChatGPT interact with external services or specialized capabilities during a chat. Instead of copying information between tabs or asking the model to “pretend” it did something, Apps let you connect a real service and use it as part of your workflow.
Depending on the app, that can mean pulling in information, creating something inside a third party service, or running a multi step action that would normally require several manual steps. In short, Apps turn a chat into a workspace.
Why this matters
This is a meaningful product shift for three reasons.
First, it changes the value of the chat itself. A conversation becomes a place where actions can happen, not just a place where you ask questions. That is a big difference when your goal is shipping work, not generating text.
Second, it improves reliability for many tasks. When a workflow involves real data sources or real actions, an integration can reduce the need for manual steps and reduce errors from copy paste and reformatting.
Third, it creates an ecosystem. Once ChatGPT supports Apps as a platform, there is room for specialized tools, competition, better UX patterns, and a growing set of best practices.
How Apps typically work
How Apps typically workMost Apps follow a simple pattern:
1. You select an App from within ChatGPT.
2. You authorize access if needed.
3. You use the app through natural language prompts, and the app handles the underlying calls to the connected service.
You do not need to learn an API to benefit from this. For the user, the experience is still “ask and get results”, but with the added capability that ChatGPT can use connected tools to produce those results.