Sora downloads plummeted by 32% after a record-breaking start - ForkLog: cryptocurrencies, AI, singularity, future

Froklog · 2026-01-30T09:43:22+00:00

The video generator Sora has seen a 32% drop in downloads after an initial surge, attributed to competition and copyright issues. Despite reaching 1 million downloads quickly, user interest decreased significantly in subsequent months.

Froklog

2026-01-30 09:43:22

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# The number of downloads of Sora plummeted by 32% after a record-breaking start

Sora’s video generator is losing its audience after a rapid launch. According to Appfigures, the number of downloads and the app’s popularity are declining.

On the release day, the iOS version based on Sora 2 gathered over 100,000 installs. The service surpassed 1 million downloads faster than ChatGPT, despite being invite-only.

However, a few weeks after the debut, the trend reversed. In December, Sora downloads decreased by 32% compared to the previous month. In January, the situation worsened: the app was downloaded 1.2 million times.

Source: Appfigures. The decline coincided with the holiday season, which is unusual for the market. Typically, this period sees increased activity as people receive new smartphones as gifts and often have time to install apps and games.

Consumer spending also decreased by 32% in January.

Consumer spending in Sora. Source: Appfigures.

In total, Sora has been downloaded 9.6 million times on iOS and Android. Users spent $1.4 million in the app, of which $1.1 million came from the US market.

Similar to TikTok, the Sora app allows creating short videos using prompts. A unique feature is the ability to choose yourself or friends as the main characters in the video.

Videos from other participants are open for editing and addition. Users can add music, sound effects, and dialogues.

In the American App Store, Sora has dropped out of the top 100 free apps.

Reasons for the decline

The decline is caused by several factors. First, Google’s Nano Banana model proved to be a serious competitor and strengthened Gemini’s position.

Sora also competes with Meta AI, which features Vibes videos powered by AI. In December, the pressure increased with the startup Runway, whose Gen 4.5 model outperformed competitors in independent tests.

Second, OpenAI’s product faced copyright infringement issues. Users created videos with popular characters like “SpongeBob” or “Pikachu,” which led the companies to tighten restrictions.

In December, the situation stabilized after an agreement with Disney, allowing users to generate videos with studio characters. However, this did not lead to an increase in downloads.

Recall that in October, deepfakes featuring Sam Altman flooded Sora.

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