OpenAI now offers Apps inside ChatGPT letting users run third party services like Spotify Canva Figma Expedia Booking Coursera and Zillow directly inside a conversation. Announced in October 2025 this update turns ChatGPT into a central AI workspace where people and small businesses can automate tasks with ChatGPT and complete common workflows without switching apps.

Why app integrations matter for AI and automation

Modern work and consumer tasks often require juggling many specialized apps. Apps inside ChatGPT use API level connections to let the conversational interface orchestrate third party services through natural language prompts. For non technical users this means you can ask the AI to automate design workflows with ChatGPT and Figma or connect ChatGPT to Canva to generate social content from a template instead of performing each step manually.

How the integrations work

• Connect accounts from ChatGPT Apps or Apps and Connectors settings and grant permissions you want to allow.
• Use prompts like create a Spotify playlist for my road trip or draft an Instagram post and generate a Canva design to run tasks across apps.
• Integrations are built on APIs so ChatGPT can request actions and return results in the same chat window.

Examples of what you can do

• Create a Spotify playlist for a road trip and add specified songs using a ChatGPT Spotify integration prompt.
• Draft captions and produce visuals with AI powered content creation using Canva and ChatGPT.
• Search Figma files or generate simple UI mockups by describing layout and components.
• Find and compare flights or hotels on Expedia or Booking and start a booking flow from chat.
• Search courses on Coursera and enroll without leaving the conversation.
• Search property listings on Zillow and review matches in a single thread.

Key considerations for users and businesses

These ChatGPT app connectors can boost productivity with AI by reducing context switching and enabling natural language automation. For teams and freelancers this can shorten the time from brief to publish by letting AI generate copy produce visuals and in some cases execute bookings or posts from the same interface.

At the same time you must treat each integration like granting an OAuth token that can act on your behalf. Review permission scopes and audit logs before connecting critical accounts. Start with low risk tasks to evaluate behavior and outputs before allowing integrations to handle payments or sensitive data.

Implications for app makers and fairness

Being discoverable inside ChatGPT is a new channel for app distribution that can help smaller services reach users. However because availability rolls out by region and partner selection is curated some apps and markets may be at a temporary disadvantage. Monitor partner placement and consider how your app can integrate to offer clear value inside a conversational workflow.

Practical checklist

• Review permissions before connecting an app.
• Begin with low risk automation to validate outputs.
• Map workflows that could be consolidated into ChatGPT and run a pilot for marketing booking or research tasks.
• Use audit logs to detect unexpected behavior and disconnect integrations if needed.

Final thought

Embedding apps inside ChatGPT converts a conversational AI from a solo assistant into a platform level orchestrator that can automate tasks with ChatGPT across design media travel and learning tools. The promise is faster workflows and new discoverability for apps. The risk is unclear data boundaries and uneven regional access. Experiment cautiously prioritize permission reviews and oversight and adapt as partners and privacy details evolve.