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OpenAI's Sora Video Tops Apple App Store Despite Being Invite-Only

The service is currently only available on iOS.

 & James Peckham Reporter

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OpenAI's latest release has taken social media by storm, and that hype has helped Sora jump to the top of Apple's App Store free charts less than 72 hours after its release.

The video-generation app launched for iOS and the web on Tuesday. It enables you to create short-form videos with dialogue and sound effects by using prompts with the brand’s latest text-to-video model, Sora 2. The Cameo feature lets you upload images and videos of yourself.

"Our latest video generation model is more physically accurate, realistic, and more controllable than prior systems," OpenAI says. That’s proven true this week as the internet has become awash with examples of videos generated through the tool with remarkably life-like results.

The app is invite-only for now, yet it has still managed to grab the top spot on Apple's store. It’s worth noting that you can still download the app, even if you don’t have an invite code. So, some people may be downloading Sora to try it out, only to find they can't get in.

App intelligence platform Appfigures estimated that the app was downloaded 164,000 times across its first two days of availability, according to TechCrunch.

OpenAI also takes the third spot in the charts with ChatGPT, while Google Gemini sits in second place. The rest of the top five moves away from AI services, with Tea Dating Advice in position four, and Meta’s Threads in fifth.

At launch, OpenAI said Sora banned AI-generated videos of public figures, but it does allow the generation of historical figures. We found videos of pop star Michael Jackson, painter Bob Ross, and rapper Tupac Shakur, as well as videos of Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy.

About Our Expert

James Peckham

James Peckham

Reporter

I’ve been a journalist for over a decade after getting my start in tech reporting back in 2013. I joined PCMag in 2025, where I cover the latest developments across the tech sphere, writing about the gadgets and services you use every day. Be sure to send me any tips you think PCMag would be interested in.

I’ve worked at TechRadar, Android Police, T3, and more, where I broke many tech stories you may have read, including the return of the Motorola Razr when it first became a foldable phone. Based near London, I’ve appeared on BBC News, Al Jazeera, and other TV networks, podcasts, and radio shows as an expert on the latest tech stories and trends.

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