OpenAI’s Sora app is struggling after its stellar launch

After rapidly hitting the top of the App Store in October, OpenAI’s video-generation app Sora is now struggling. New data suggests the app is seeing declines in both app downloads and consumer spending, as the early hype about the AI video social network wears off.

Powered by OpenAI’s video generation model Sora 2, the iOS version topped 100,000 installs on day one, despite being an invite-only experience. It soon hit the No. 1 spot on the U.S. App Store, and it reached the 1 million downloads milestone faster than ChatGPT. At the time, Sora’s app was iOS-only and still required an invite, making its success all the more impressive.

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

According to data from market intelligence provider Appfigures, Sora’s downloads dropped 32% month-over-month in December. That’s concerning because the holidays are typically a boon for mobile apps, as people are gifted 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-over-month, to reach 1.2 million. Consumer spending has dropped as well, down 32% month-over-month as of January, Appfigures said.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Like an AI-flavored TikTok, Sora allows users to create AI videos using prompts. A unique feature allows users to cast themselves and their friends as main characters in the videos, if they choose, while shared videos can be remixed by others who can customize them further. The videos can also include music, sound effects, and dialogue to complete the scenes users create.

In total, Sora’s app has seen 9.6 million downloads across iOS and Android, and $1.4 million in consumer spending to date. The U.S. accounts for the majority ($1.1 million) of that figure, followed by Japan, Canada, South Korea, and Thailand.

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

On the U.S. App Store, Sora is no longer ranked in the Top 100 Overall free apps. It currently sits at No. 101. Its highest rank is No. 7 in the Photo & Video category. On Google Play in the U.S., the app fares worse, as it’s No. 181 overall among the top free apps.

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

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

For starters, Google’s Gemini, and particularly its Nano Banana model, has proven to be fierce competition, helping its Gemini AI app gain popularity. Sora also competes with Meta AI, whose app launched an AI-powered Vibes video, boosting its October downloads, just as Sora was taking off.

At the same time, OpenAI has struggled with containing copyright infringement in Sora. Initially, the company told Hollywood studios and agencies they would have to opt out of having their IP used in Sora, which naturally saw studio backlash. But without robust copyright controls, users had been able to create AI videos using popular characters, like SpongeBob and Pikachu, which drove adoption. To appease Hollywood and stave off legal threats, Sora moved from an opt-out to an opt-in model and increased restrictions in the app.

Last month, the doors opened up a bit more as OpenAI announced a deal with Disney, which allowed users to generate videos in Sora with its characters. But so far, that news hasn’t increased Sora installs or consumer spending. (It’s also not necessarily a good look for Disney, considering some of the depraved videos Sora users had made with its characters.)

Sora 2 was released to significant hype, with some calling it a disruption to social media and the TikTok of AI. But many users had no interest in letting others — even their friends — use their likeness to make AI videos. Without familiar faces and with limits on using commercial IP, people’s interest in Sora seems to have faded. Whether the app can stage a comeback with more copyright deals or new features remains to be seen.