ChatGPT Mobile App Download & Usage Declining - Analysis

ChatGPT Mobile App Growth: A Potential Plateau

Recent analysis from Apptopia, a third-party app intelligence company, suggests that the growth of ChatGPT’s mobile application may be decelerating. Their data indicates a slowdown in new user acquisition, specifically measured by the percentage increase in global downloads, beginning after April.

Daily Active User Trends

Apptopia’s assessment of daily active user (DAU) growth reveals a stabilization of numbers over the last month. While still substantial, the rate of increase in DAU is diminishing.

October’s performance is currently projected to show an 8.1% decrease in month-over-month percentage change for global downloads.

It’s important to note this refers to the rate of growth in downloads, not the total number of downloads. ChatGPT’s mobile app continues to achieve significant download volumes daily, numbering in the millions.

Factors Influencing Growth

A stagnation in download growth can signal a broader slowdown in an app’s overall expansion. In ChatGPT’s situation, intensifying competition and modifications to its AI model’s behavior are potential contributing factors.

Further examination of key metrics reveals a 22.5% decline in average time spent per DAU within the U.S. since July. Similarly, average sessions per DAU in the U.S. have decreased by 20.7%.

This data suggests that users in the U.S. are dedicating less time to the ChatGPT application and launching it less frequently each day.

Interestingly, user churn within the U.S. has stabilized during this period. This indicates the app is successfully retaining its established user base, with fewer users simply trying the app briefly before abandoning it.

OpenAI has not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding these findings.

Impact of Updates and Competition

Several elements beyond simply reaching a peak could be influencing these trends. Competition from Google’s Gemini is one factor, as are changes in user engagement following an April update aimed at reducing the chatbot’s tendency to be overly agreeable.

The August release of GPT-5, reported to be less personable, may have also played a role.

However, Apptopia highlights that the downward trend in average time spent and sessions per DAU predates the significant rise of Google’s Gemini in September, driven by the launch of Google’s Nano Banana AI image model.

Therefore, while Gemini’s growth may be contributing to recent declines, it doesn’t fully explain the overarching trend.

Shifting User Behavior

If only average time spent per DAU were decreasing, but not average sessions per DAU, it might suggest users were becoming more efficient with their ChatGPT queries. The concurrent decline in both metrics indicates this is not the case.

Apptopia proposes that the initial experimentation phase with the ChatGPT app may be concluding, transitioning into a more integrated part of users’ regular routines.

Users are now more likely to utilize the app when a specific need arises or when they remember to do so, rather than the heightened usage experienced during its initial release.

Future Strategies for OpenAI

For OpenAI, this shift necessitates investment in app marketing initiatives or the introduction of new features to revitalize core metrics. Relying solely on the novelty factor to drive growth is no longer sufficient, mirroring the strategies employed by other established mobile applications.