OpenAI announces "Sora 2," launching a TikTok-rival social app alongside it
On September 30, 2025, OpenAI announced its video-and-audio generation model “Sora 2,” and simultaneously released a TikTok-style social app built on it, called “Sora,” for iOS. The announcement presented a new way of using video-generation AI, letting users remix each other’s creations and, with a “characters” feature, put themselves or friends into videos.
Details
- Model advances: As the successor to the previous generation of Sora, it now also supports audio generation. Its standout trait is high controllability, accurately maintaining world state while following complex instructions that span multiple shots
- The “Sora” social app: Designed as more than just a place for your own creations — it lets users remix other users’ posts and discover new videos through a customizable feed
- Characters feature: Includes a “characters” feature that lets users put themselves or friends into videos
- Availability: Launched the same day in the US and Canada. Available first as an iOS app, with no timeline given for expansion to other countries
What happened next
Just a month after the Sora 2 announcement, an Android version of the app launched in November 2025, drawing major buzz with hundreds of thousands of installs on its first day alone. A major partnership with Disney was announced that December, but due to the heavy cost of running the service, the business itself would go on to shut down in April 2026.