OpenAI rolled out its second iPhone app, Sora, in September, promising limitless video creation from text prompts. The launch drew fanfare, but the app never gained traction. Users found the tool more of a novelty than a production asset, and the company decided to shut it down.

OpenAI tightened restrictions on using copyrighted material, effectively curbing the app’s core appeal. In a post on X, the company said, “We’re saying goodbye to Sora. To everyone who created with Sora, shared it, and built community around it: thank you.” It promised timelines for the app’s removal and ways to preserve user work.

The decision comes as OpenAI pivots toward a super‑app vision that blends ChatGPT, Codex tools, and its struggling Atlas browser. Sora felt out of place in that lineup, more a toy than a core product. The app even attracted Bob Iger’s attention, but the rumored Disney licensing deal never materialized.

OpenAI will remove Sora from the App Store and shut down its API, leaving users to export or archive their videos. The move signals a sharper focus on scalable, text‑centric AI tools. While the video‑generation experiment failed, the company’s broader strategy remains centered on conversational and coding AI.