Technologies

Sora Is the No. 1 Free App on the Google Play Store: Your Guide to the AI Video App

Sora continues to dominate, with early estimates saying the Android app was downloaded nearly half a million times in one day.

OpenAI’s Sora app snatches another victory as it takes the top spot in the Google Play Store’s top free app rankings, as spotted by CNET on Monday. It replaced its sister app, ChatGPT, which is now in second place.

OpenAI dropped the Android-compatible version of its Sora app last week, and the AI social media app’s popularity seems to know no bounds. A new report from Appfigures found that the Android app was downloaded 470,000 times on the first day it was available. That’s four times as many downloads as compared to Sora’s initial iOS app launch in September, according to TechCrunch, which originally reported the news.

Keep in mind that the iOS app was downloaded over a million times in less than five days when it was launched in September. It was also restricted to North America and required an invite code. Since Sora has dropped its invite code requirement and opened up the app to more countries, it makes sense that Android downloads would be higher than the iOS ones. But it’s still an eye-popping statistic, even for an app that has quickly become one of the most powerful and controversial AI developments so far.

The Android app is just one of many updates OpenAI has dropped in recent weeks. In a new post, OpenAI’s head of Sora, Bill Peebles, outlined what’s coming soon for the AI-video app, including new creation tools, improved social features and much-anticipated Android support. OpenAI also said it would be working with unions like SAG-AFTRA and other celebrities and public figures to help manage the creation of potentially inappropriate or illegal videos, including deepfakes.

You can download Sora now on the Google Play Store and start scrolling right away. Here’s everything that’s inside the Sora app. For more, check out our guide for how to spot AI-generated videos.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Cameos and editing tools

Sora recently gained new creation tools in the form of character cameos, which are now expanding beyond people. Cameo is Sora’s primary feature that allows you to use other people’s likenesses to create nearly any kind of AI video. Soon, you’ll be able to cameo your dog, guinea pig, favorite stuffed toy or generated characters from existing Sora videos. Several Halloween-themed characters have been added recently.

The app’s generation interface will also highlight trending cameos in real-time, likely building on popular existing social media features, such as the For You page or Explore page on Instagram.

OpenAI is also introducing basic video editing tools, beginning with the ability to stitch clips together directly within the app. Peebles says more advanced editing features are on the way, hinting at a broader creative suite that aims to move Sora beyond short, one-off generations to an app that can be used by professional creators.

On the social side, the team is experimenting with new ways to utilize Sora with friends and communities, rather than just a global feed. That could mean channels for your university, workplace, hobbies or sports teams, bringing a more localized vibe to what has so far been a mostly chaotic public stream of AI videos.

These changes follow the first major Sora update earlier this month, which introduced longer video limits and a storyboarding feature. The company announced that free Sora users can make videos up to 15 seconds long on the iPhone app and the web (which is the only way Android users can use Sora at the moment). Pro users also receive an additional 10 seconds when creating on the web, for a total of 35 seconds. The announcement came one day after Google upgraded its popular AI video model, Veo 3, to handle longer video generations.

New payment options for videos

As OpenAI added new features and opened up its app to anyone (no invite code needed), it also introduced payment plans. Previously, free users could generate up to 30 videos per day, while Pro users had a limit of 100 videos per day. Now, if anyone hits their generation limit, they can pay $4 for an additional 10 video generations.

Since your Sora account is linked to your ChatGPT account, if you pay for ChatGPT Pro, you’re a paying Sora user. For more information, see all the payment plans.

Storyboarding

Storyboarding, available only to Pro users on the web, lets creators plan out videos on the web before generating them. Storyboarding has long been a part of the professional filmmaking process and is occasionally included in more professional software programs. Google’s AI filmmaking program Flow, for example, allows for storyboarding. But this is an interesting and somewhat unexpected addition to Sora.

Sora has only been around a short time, but the vibe on the app is focused on shorter, funny videos, echoing OpenAI’s claim that the app is designed to help people connect with their friends. Professional-grade videos that are longer and better planned aren’t very common, but these upcoming updates will likely change that.

This could be a sign that OpenAI is attempting to attract the professional creators it has previously alienated. Professional creators would need storyboarding, video editing, longer run times, and higher resolutions, and OpenAI seems to be addressing these needs quickly.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Technologies

Google Could Revive Last Year’s Bright Pink Color for the Pixel 10a

Google’s upcoming Pixel 10a is expected to launch in February with some new colors, including one popular ask.

The Google Pixel 9a is one of Google’s most affordable Pixel phones, and it includes one of the most frequently requested colors — bright pink. With the Google Pixel 10a rumored to launch in February, we’re already getting a hint at the colors the new model will come in.

According to Roland Quandt, a regular mobile leaker on Bluesky, the Google Pixel is expected to be offered in obsidian (black), berry (pink), fog (light gray), and lavender colors. However, it’s the berry hue that is intriguing customers.

A representative for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

«I always love to see phones come in vibrant colors, and it’s especially welcome in more budget-friendly options,» said Abrar Al-Heeti, senior technology reporter at CNET. «Yes, we tend to slap a case on our phones anyway, but just knowing your phone touts a bold color can make it feel like more of a statement piece, rather than a bland piece of tech.»

Pink is one of the most requested color options for the Pixel phones. CNET sister site Mashable loved the color when it debuted on the Pixel 9. Phone rivals like Apple and Samsung are usually expected to offer a pink color option in their flagship and midrange phone lineups, so it’s not surprising to see the berry color on the Pixel 10a.

«I’ll say that Google loves having Pixel phones in pink,» said Patrick Holland, CNET managing editor. «The Pixel 9 and 9a come in peony (a bright, bold pink) and the 9 Pro in rose quartz (a more muted pink). The Pixel 10 series lacks any pinkish hues.»

Quandt also says that the Pixel 10a will have 128GB and 256GB storage models, and will launch in mid-February. That’s earlier than expected compared with the Pixel 9a, which was revealed in mid-March 2025 for a launch on April 10. In terms of specifications, we expect the Pixel 10a to be a modest upgrade compared with previous generations. According to leaks, the Pixel 10 is unlikely to feature a newer Tensor G5 chip, and it’s likely to retain the same overall design as the Pixel 9a.

One leaker, Mystic Leaks on Telegram, expressed disappointment and revealed additional specs, including the absence of a telephoto lens, UFS 3.1 storage, a Tensor G4 chip, a 2,000-nit display and no Magic Cue, which is Google’s AI feature for the Pixel 10.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 14, #948

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 14 #948.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. The blue category, not the purple one today, expects you to find hidden words in four of the words given in the grid. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: That’s not going anywhere.

Green group hint: End user or customer.

Blue group hint: Ask a meteorologist.

Purple group hint: Not noisy.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Fixed.

Green group: Receiver of goods or services.

Blue group: Starting with weather conditions.

Purple group: Silent ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is fixed. The four answers are fast, firm, secure and tight.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is receiver of goods or services. The four answers are account, client, consumer and user.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is starting with weather conditions. The four answers are frosty (frost), mistletoe (mist), rainmaker (rain) and snowman (snow).

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is silent ____. The four answers are auction, movie, partner and treatment.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Jan. 14, #1670

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Jan. 14, No. 1,670.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a tough one, with a letter that is rarely used and which I just never guess. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.