OpenAI Explores “Sign in with ChatGPT” for Third-Party Apps

OpenAI is testing the idea of letting users sign in to other apps using their ChatGPT credentials—a move that could extend the AI platform’s reach beyond its current interface and into everyday online services.

A new developer page published Tuesday reveals that OpenAI is gauging interest in a potential “Sign in with ChatGPT” feature. If launched widely, this capability would allow users to access external applications—from shopping platforms to productivity tools—by authenticating with their ChatGPT account.

Building on a Massive User Base

ChatGPT has grown into one of the largest consumer apps globally, now reaching an estimated 600 million monthly active users. That scale puts OpenAI in a strong position to offer sign-in services, similar to those already provided by Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Each of those companies offers widely adopted identity systems that help users quickly log in to third-party apps while streamlining account creation and access.

A ChatGPT sign-in option would signal OpenAI’s ambitions to become more central to users’ digital lives, extending its utility beyond AI conversations and into authentication infrastructure.

Early Developer Preview in Codex CLI

OpenAI quietly introduced a preview of the feature earlier this month within Codex CLI, an open-source AI coding tool that runs in a terminal environment. There, developers could link their ChatGPT accounts—Free, Plus, or Pro—to their API access.

To encourage adoption:

• Plus users were offered $5 in API credits for trying the sign-in feature.

• Pro users received a $50 in API credits as part of the rollout.

This early test suggests OpenAI is actively experimenting with how to bridge ChatGPT usage across developer tools and external services.

Outreach to Developers

OpenAI is now collecting interest from developers who might want to integrate ChatGPT sign-ins into their apps. The company’s interest form asks a range of questions about a developer’s business model and user base, such as:

• User scale: From fewer than 1,000 weekly users to more than 100 million.

• Monetization: How apps currently charge for AI features.

• API usage: Whether the developer is already a customer of OpenAI’s API.

This broad targeting suggests OpenAI is looking beyond its core AI products and toward more traditional tech platform territory.

A Shift From Concept to Implementation

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman mentioned the possibility of a “sign in with OpenAI” feature back in 2023. At the time, it was discussed as a potential direction for 2024. The current testing and developer outreach in 2025 indicate the company is now moving more seriously toward building and deploying the capability.

It remains unclear how soon the feature will become available to the public or which companies might partner with OpenAI to offer it.

What This Means

OpenAI’s move into user authentication with “Sign in with ChatGPT” places it in direct competition with long-established identity systems from Apple, Google, and Microsoft. These platforms don’t just offer logins—they shape user trust, control data flow, and serve as central gateways across apps and devices.

If OpenAI succeeds, ChatGPT could evolve from a conversational interface into a broader personal identity layer in the digital ecosystem. That could streamline access across AI-enabled tools and services—but also raise new questions about account interoperability, data sharing, and user control.

For developers and app makers, the offering represents a potentially simpler way to integrate AI-linked identities while tapping into ChatGPT’s massive user base. For users, it could mean fewer passwords, faster access, and deeper personalization—rooted in the assistant many already use daily.

For OpenAI, identity could become as important as intelligence—turning ChatGPT from a tool into a foundation for how people access the digital world.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.