OpenAI’s Sora app is struggling after its impressive launch

After rocketing to the top of the App Store in October, OpenAI’s video creation app Sora is now struggling. New data suggests the app is seeing a decline in both app downloads and consumer spending, as early hype around the AI-powered video social network fades.

Powered by OpenAI’s Sora 2 video creation model, the iOS version surpassed 100,000 installs on day one, despite being an invitation-only experience. It quickly reached number one in the US App Store, reaching 1 million downloads faster than ChatGPT. At the time, Sora was iOS-only and still required an invitation, making its success even more impressive.

However, in the weeks since Sora’s mobile debut, the app has begun to lose its appeal.

According to data from market intelligence provider Appfigures, Sora downloads fell 32% month-over-month in December. This is worrying because holidays are usually a boon for mobile apps, as people are given new smartphones and often have time off from work, allowing them to install new apps and games.

The decline continued in January 2026, with installs falling 45% month-on-month to 1.2 million. Consumer spending was also down 32% month-over-month as of January, Appfigures said.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Like AI-flavored TikTok, Sora lets users create AI-powered videos using prompts. The unique feature allows users to cast themselves and their friends as main characters in videos, if they so choose, while shared videos can be remixed by others who can further personalize them. Videos can also include music, sound effects, and dialogue to complement user-generated scenes.

In total, the Sora app has seen 9.6 million downloads across iOS and Android, and $1.4 million in consumer spending to date. The United States represents the majority ($1.1 million) of this figure, followed by Japan, Canada, South Korea and Thailand.

This month, customers spent $367,000 on the Sora app, down from December’s peak of $540,000.

In the US App Store, Sora no longer ranks among the top 100 free apps overall. It is currently ranked 101. Its highest ranking is 7th in the Photo & Video category. On Google Play in the United States, the app performs even worse, ranking 181st overall among the best free apps.

These numbers are still too high to write off the app as “dead,” but they are worrying.

This decline is likely due to a number of factors working in tandem.

For starters, Google’s Gemini app, especially the Nano Banana model, has proven to be stiff competition, which has helped the Gemini AI app gain popularity. Sora is also competing with Meta AI, whose app launched AI-powered Vibes video, which led to a surge in downloads in October, just as Sora was taking off.

Meanwhile, OpenAI has struggled to contain Sora’s copyright infringement. Initially, the company told Hollywood studios and agencies that it would have to opt out of Sora’s use of its IP, which naturally led to backlash from the studio. But without strong copyright controls, users have been able to create AI-powered videos using popular characters, such as SpongeBob and Pikachu, which has led to adoption. To please Hollywood and ward off legal threats, Sora moved from an opt-out model to a subscription model and increased restrictions in the app.

Last month, the doors opened a little more when OpenAI announced a deal with Disney, which allowed users to create videos in Sora with its characters. But so far, this news hasn’t led to an increase in Sora installs or consumer spending. (It’s also not necessarily a good look for Disney, considering some of the spoiler videos Sora users have made with its characters.)

Sora 2 was released to great fanfare, with some calling it a social media and TikTok disruptor for artificial intelligence. But many users had no interest in letting others — even their friends — use their photos to create AI-powered videos. Without familiar faces and with restrictions on the use of commercial intellectual property, people’s interest in Sora appears to have waned. It remains to be seen if the app can come back with more copyright deals or new features.