OpenAI launched Sora 2 in September, its latest video generator model alongside the eponymous TikTok-like Sora mobile app for people to create and share AI-generated videos. Sora launched initially for iOS devices and was invite-only, but OpenAI recently removed the waitlist in some regions, including the U.S., Canada, and Japan. If you’re in a supported region for the AI app, this is a good chance to try Sora without searching or waiting for an invite code. It’s worth downloading the app now before the waitlist returns as the company in its post on X said the removal of the invite-code requirement is “limited time only.”
Sora climbed to the top of Apple’s App Store charts in the U.S. even though it was invite-only, with OpenAI saying the app was downloaded over a million times in less than five days; faster than ChatGPT. If you’re using an iPhone with iOS 18.0 or later, open the App Store on your phone, search for the official Sora app, and download it.
Once installed, sign in with the same account that you use for ChatGPT, verify your age, and start creating and sharing videos on the app. Sora is currently available for free, with some usage limits; however, ChatGPT Pro users will also be able to use an “experimental high-quality Sora 2 Pro model” on the web version, which will soon be available in the app as well.
Key features and how the app works
The app lets users create 10-second vertical video clips based on the prompts about the scene, action, and style. You can also start a video by uploading an image and then providing a text prompt to guide the app. Just like TikTok and other short-form video apps, you can scroll through videos generated by other users and share your own videos.
Sora has a key feature called “Cameo” that lets users record themselves, and then add the short clip into different AI-generated scenes. The app lets users control who can use these clips and they can delete these “Cameo” clips as well. Sora’s video-audio generation works best with detailed prompts and can create “sophisticated background soundscapes, speech, and sound effects with a high degree of realism,” according to OpenAI.
You can also generate the video again with a slightly tweaked prompt or different settings if you don’t get the desired result in the first attempt. Sora was initially available only on iPhones but OpenAI recently made the AI video generator app available for Android users in regions such as the U.S., Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
