---
title: "OpenAI's \"App Store\" dream cools: ChatGPT super app plan faces frequent issues, reality compared to Apple is very stark"
type: "News"
locale: "zh-CN"
url: "https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281031653.md"
description: "OpenAI's ChatGPT super app plan faces challenges, with limited functionality for third-party applications disappointing developers. Despite over 300 applications integrated, progress has been slow due to cumbersome approval processes and functional limitations. OpenAI also announced the cessation of development on the Sora video generator to streamline its product line and prepare for an IPO. As competition intensifies, third-party integration is crucial for attracting users"
datetime: "2026-03-30T13:40:02.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281031653.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/281031653.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/281031653.md)
---

> 支持的语言: [English](https://longbridge.com/en/news/281031653.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/281031653.md)


# OpenAI's "App Store" dream cools: ChatGPT super app plan faces frequent issues, reality compared to Apple is very stark

Last year, OpenAI announced an ambitious plan that allows companies like Spotify (SPOT.US) and Booking Holdings (BKNG.US) to launch mini-programs within ChatGPT, enabling users to access their services without leaving the chatbot; this move has drawn comparisons to the debut of Apple's (AAPL.US) App Store and is seen as a key step in OpenAI's effort to build ChatGPT into an integrated platform.

The promotion of ChatGPT applications may intensify the growing competition with Apple, steering consumers towards applications and service ecosystems outside the App Store. In November of last year, Apple took measures to curb this by launching a "mini-app" policy, requiring so-called super apps to pay Apple 15% of in-app purchase revenue as a commission.

However, six months have passed, and according to interviews with app developers, progress on this plan has been slow. Although there are currently over 300 applications integrated, they are all hidden, and their functionalities are limited by the partner companies, which are reluctant to hand over customer relationships and payment processes to OpenAI. Developers have also complained about a cumbersome app approval process, numerous coding system bugs, and a lack of usage data.

OpenAI's lackluster debut adds another item to its list of product investments that have yet to yield returns. According to reports from Zhitong Finance APP, the company announced last week that it would stop developing the Sora video generator, aiming to streamline its product line in preparation for a possible IPO later this year. OpenAI is also working to integrate its emerging browser Atlas with its chatbot and coding tools into a single desktop application; this browser, named Atlas, has also encountered some issues in its early stages.

As OpenAI faces increasing competition from Anthropic PBC and Alphabet (GOOGL.US)'s Google, third-party integrations are crucial for attracting more users. This will also help OpenAI ultimately achieve its goal of integrating its software into consumer devices. (Last year, OpenAI acquired hardware startup founded by former Apple executive Jony Ive for nearly $6.5 billion and is currently collaborating with Ive to develop a series of products.)

## ChatGPT Integrated Applications Perform Mediocre

Stubhub Holdings (STUB.US) and Booking have not yet viewed the ChatGPT application as a significant marketing driver. Booking CEO Glenn Fogel stated in an interview, "It's easier to find listings on Booking.com." He also added that the referral traffic from ChatGPT is still "very small." He pointed out that the company's spending on Google ads remains "very large" compared to its investment in the OpenAI chatbot.

OpenAI stated that its application platform is central to its product strategy. "We are still in the early stages of platform development, and we recognize that the developer experience needs improvement in certain areas," a spokesperson said, adding that the company is committed to making the platform "more reliable, more predictable, and easier to scale over time." OpenAI's application project has received mixed reviews, bringing different perspectives to Wall Street's previous optimism and concerns about this technology. Many early partners, including Figma (FIG.US), Expedia (EXPE.US), and Target (TGT.US), saw their stock prices soar after the initial announcement, as this collaboration offered a new way to acquire users in the age of artificial intelligence, rather than being disrupted by it. Some consumer goods companies believe that collaborating with AI chatbots is necessary, as they view it as an emerging search channel similar to Google. However, AI assistants are not the only way consumers learn about brands, and these chatbots are far from replacing the search giant.

According to a company spokesperson, DoorDash (DASH.US) has also found that no single partner integration, whether it's ChatGPT, Google, or the order button on Yelp Inc. (YELP.US), "can monopolize customer attention."

In a recent earnings call, executives from companies such as Airbnb (ABNB.US), Booking, Expedia, DoorDash, and eBay (EBAY.US) emphasized their so-called superior payment systems, 24/7 customer support, user verification, and reviews as reasons why they will not be replaced by AI-driven tools.

Jefferies analyst John Colantuoni stated that AI models "currently do not have the capability to provide higher quality services." "This creates a chicken-and-egg dilemma, where consumers will only turn to AI if the service is better or cheaper, and businesses have no incentive to empower intermediaries."

Few applications provide checkout options that do not force users to leave OpenAI's chatbot. Take Uber (UBER.US) as an example; users must first enter "@Uber" to start using it, then tell the chatbot their pickup and drop-off locations and view the estimated fare range. Moreover, passengers can only complete bookings on Uber, making it quicker to book the entire process directly in the Uber app. (Instacart is an exception, as it has deeper integration in payments and was led by OpenAI app CEO Fidji Simo.)

The ticket resale platform StubHub allows ChatGPT users to search for concerts, events, and seating information based on preferences such as budget or perspective. However, users must also visit the StubHub website to complete a purchase, and even just zooming in on the seating chart requires visiting the site.

StubHub President and Chief Product Officer Nayaab Islam stated that customers have not yet adopted chatbots as a "primary" shopping method, noting that consumers are concerned about sharing credit card details with AI assistants. However, he mentioned that given the billions of users of chatbot applications, not participating is "unwise." He said, "For businesses like ours, having more options is a good thing." Consumers' unease with artificial intelligence is not an isolated case: a new report released this month by advertising technology company Criteo shows that among over 6,000 consumers surveyed globally, 55% are "particularly cautious about sharing payment information with AI." The company noted in the report that consumers are trying to use AI as an assistant but "have not fully relinquished control."

The research found that 96% of shoppers who frequently use AI chatbots also use other channels, such as social media, traditional search, and retailer websites.

## "The gate has not yet opened"

Not only have consumers not fully embraced the ChatGPT app store, but developers also find the app development process frustrating.

Fractal, a startup that develops chatbot application tools for non-programmers, has its CEO Hanh Nguyen stating that for some developers, publishing an app to the app store is a long ordeal. She pointed out that some apps are rejected due to "false signals" flagged by OpenAI's AI-assisted review system, requiring intervention from the company's human customer service to resolve.

OpenAI has stated that its approval speed has significantly increased, thanks to streamlined processes and developers addressing previously identified issues. According to Elliot Garreffa, co-founder of the third-party platform for ChatGPT app tracking and performance testing, the company approved nearly 70 apps last week, whereas previously only 3 to 5 were approved daily. (OpenAI declined to disclose specific numbers.)

![99ba97bad40e889b65a8f4e8df734dfe.png](https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://img.zhitongcaijing.com/image/20260330/1774876434465180.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg)

Some developers encounter issues even after their apps are accepted. Garreffa stated that because OpenAI defines chatbot prompt information as proprietary data, programmers find that the analytical data they can obtain about app performance is "very limited," leaving them "almost completely unaware" of user engagement.

Garreffa added, "We continuously hear from businesses that a pain point is, 'My app is live, but I don't know if it's functioning properly, whether it can run stably,' or whether it can reach target users." As the platform is still emerging, there are currently no effective methods to influence app visibility, which is in stark contrast to iOS app developers who can test different methods to improve rankings.

Moreover, OpenAI has now begun incorporating advertisements into chatbots, which means partner applications may increasingly find themselves competing for user attention with sponsored content, potentially exacerbating concerns about discoverability.

Meanwhile, developers are dealing with bugs in the development tools that make their work more challenging. Fractal's Chief Technology Officer Max Ockner stated, "Apps in development mode may malfunction, and we have to think, 'What's going on?'" "And then we have to check what the developers have done to discover that they have already modified certain things before the official release." Although OpenAI retains a change log for the application framework, the documentation has not been updated in a timely manner regarding the bugs submitted by users on its public developer forum.

Ockner said, "The floodgates have not yet opened, and we are still waiting for that moment to arrive."

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