OpenAI Brings Its Sora App to Android, But There’s a Catch

OpenAI has rolled out its AI-powered video generator, Sora, for Android users — a month after its iPhone debut. The app is now live in select countries, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

It’s a limited rollout for now, but it signals OpenAI’s growing focus on turning video creation into something anyone can do with a few words.

From ChatGPT to AI Videos

Sora was first launched for iOS in September, quickly becoming one of the most downloaded free apps on Apple’s App Store. In just a week, it crossed a million downloads and reached the top spot. The Android release is expected to draw another wave of users, especially given the app’s popularity among creators who enjoy experimenting with AI-driven storytelling.

Just like the iPhone version, the Android app includes tools like Cameos, which lets users create realistic AI videos of themselves performing actions or appearing in different scenes. These clips can be shared in a social feed where others can like, comment, and follow creators — blending AI generation with a social platform structure.

Invite-Only Access for Now

Sora’s Android rollout mirrors its iPhone strategy: invite-only access. Users need a code to get started, something OpenAI has been using to manage demand and keep moderation challenges under control as it refines the platform’s safety systems.

The company has also been expanding Sora’s creative capabilities. Users can now stitch videos together, reuse characters across clips, and even integrate multiple prompts into a single video.

The Growing Controversy Around AI Videos

Sora’s rapid success has come with some messy moments. After the iOS launch, users began creating AI-generated videos featuring public figures and copyrighted characters without consent. Clips of historical figures like Martin Luther King Jr. were shared in inappropriate contexts, prompting OpenAI to pause depictions of certain personalities altogether.

The company’s flagship “Cameos” feature has also attracted legal scrutiny. According to TechCrunch, OpenAI is facing a dispute with the celebrity video platform Cameo over name similarities and feature overlap.

Beyond trademark issues, the larger concern revolves around deepfakes and misinformation. AI-generated videos can look alarmingly real, and while OpenAI says Sora’s newer version (Sora 2) has stronger guardrails, these challenges are far from solved.

How OpenAI Is Handling the Pushback

To address criticism, OpenAI has moved from an opt-out to an opt-in policy for rights holders, meaning only approved likenesses can be used in Sora videos. The company says it’s also made it easier for estates of public figures to request takedowns or prevent the use of their images.

OpenAI has been tightening moderation and limiting Sora’s ability to mimic real voices or faces unless explicit permission is granted.

India Launch

As of now, OpenAI hasn’t announced any official rollout timeline for Sora in India. The Android app remains unavailable in the country, and there’s no confirmation on when local access will begin. We’ll keep you updated as soon as there’s any word from the company.