OpenAI’s Sora App Is Struggling After Its Stellar Launch

Sora app downloads plummet 45% as initial AI video hype fades. What went wrong with OpenAI's ambitious social platform?
Matilda
OpenAI’s Sora App Is Struggling After Its Stellar Launch
Sora App's Rapid Fall From App Store Dominance OpenAI's Sora app is losing momentum just months after its explosive debut, with downloads crashing 45% in January 2026 and user spending declining sharply. The AI video generation platform, which briefly dominated the U.S. App Store charts last fall, now faces a critical retention challenge as early adopters abandon the invite-only experience. What happened to the app that once outpaced ChatGPT's adoption curve? Credit: Robert Way/ Getty Images The story of Sora's rise and stumble reveals uncomfortable truths about the gap between AI demonstration magic and sustainable consumer products. While OpenAI's underlying Sora 2 video generation model continues advancing in research labs, translating that technology into a sticky social experience has proven far more difficult than anticipated. From Record-Breaking Launch to Steep Decline When Sora launched exclusively on iOS in October 2025, the numbers stunned industry observers.…