ChatGPT reaches 1 billion monthly active users in record time

June 03, 2026 / 12:54 PM

Sharjah24 - Reuters: OpenAI's ChatGPT has surpassed1 billion global monthly active app users, becoming the fastest app ever to reach the milestone, according to estimates from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

ChatGPT reached 1 billion MAUs in May, approximately three years after its launch, outstripping the growth pace of apps such as Google Maps, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, according to Sensor Tower.

The firm said U.S. ChatGPT users who downloaded Anthropic's Claude app in the first quarter of 2026 spent 5 percent less time using ChatGPT one month later, compared with their average usage during the previous eight months.

Anthropic confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering on Monday, while Reuters has reported that OpenAI is also preparing to file for an IPO in the coming weeks.

As of the second quarter to date, Claude had 56 million global monthly active app users, while its year-over-year MAU growth of about 640% significantly outpaced ChatGPT's 62% growth, according to Sensor Tower.