January 14, 2026
Slop to flop?
OpenAI's Sora now sits at #71 in the US App Store and #108 on Play Store
From viral rocket to rank 71: fans say the AI “slop” era just got boring
TLDR: Sora rocketed up the charts, but now it’s slipped to around #71 as usage and daily users fall. The community says the novelty wore off, strict copyright rules killed the fun, and pure AI feeds feel empty — people prefer human-driven platforms, even if AI sneaks in behind the scenes.
Sora sprinted out of the gate — invite-only on Sept 30, topping charts in days, 1M downloads in under five, then 470K Android installs on day one. Disney dropped $1B, and OpenAI reportedly chased sky-high valuations. Creators panicked as feeds filled with AI-made videos, with Casey Neistat joking “it’s over,” while Ben Thompson first called it thrilling, then shrugged that AI “will never be human.” But the crowd’s mood? The honeymoon is over.
In December, daily users slid to 750K (per Similarweb), and folks spent just 13 minutes a day vs. TikTok’s 90 (per Sensor Tower). Now Sora hovers around #71 on iOS and #100 on Android. Comments lit up: some say it’s a novelty that burns out fast, others blast a “minefield” of copyright rules that make fun remixes fail while celebs allegedly get a softer touch. The spiciest take: people don’t want feeds of obvious AI slop — they want the slop snuck into human platforms so it feels “real.”
Cue memes of “slop era” fatigue and jokes about Sora being the AI TikTok clone you use for a week, then forget. The drama is less about tech and more about taste: do we want infinite machine video, or something that feels human? The comments vote human — loudly.
Key Points
- •Sora launched on Sept. 30 as invite-only, reached the top of the US App Store within 3 days, and surpassed 1M downloads in under 5 days.
- •In early November, OpenAI relaxed invites and launched Sora on Android, topping Google Play with 470K installs on day one; Similarweb measured 1M DAUs in November.
- •OpenAI’s minimal guardrails aided virality but posed IP risks; the company hired Meta growth personnel amid rapid adoption.
- •By December, DAUs fell to 750K (Similarweb), and Sensor Tower reported 13 minutes/day average usage vs. 90 on TikTok.
- •Current rankings show Sora at #70–80 on US iOS Free Top Charts, #8 in Photo & Video, and around #100 on Google Play; OpenAI’s funding talks included valuations up to $830B, with a $1B Disney investment linked to early success.