ChatGPT’s Growth Slows Amid Google’s Advances

ChatGPT's growth slows as Google's Gemini gains ground.

The rise in ChatGPT’s popularity has begun to slow, reports TechCrunch, citing data from the analytics platform Sensor Tower.

OpenAI’s chatbot remains a leader in the AI segment, accounting for 50% of global mobile app downloads and 55% of monthly active users.

However, Google’s Gemini is already surpassing its competitor in terms of download dynamics, audience growth, and the time users spend on the app.

The number of active ChatGPT users grew by 6% from August to November, reaching 810 million. During the same period, Gemini’s figures increased by 30%. The release of the new image generation model Nano Banana contributed to the app’s growing popularity.

Google’s competitive advantage remains its integration with Android. Users often interact with Gemini through the operating system, bypassing separate apps.

The positive trend for the competitor could narrow the gap with ChatGPT. OpenAI has expressed concern about this, as evidenced by a recent “code red” memorandum.

However, the race is not yet over. In November, the number of active chatbot users grew by 180% year-on-year, while Gemini’s figure was 170%.

Gemini is increasing its presence in the chatbot market. From May to November, the service’s share grew by three percentage points, while ChatGPT lost a similar volume since August.

The decline in OpenAI’s metrics is partly due to the popularity of Perplexity and Claude. In 2025, these competitors demonstrated triple-digit audience growth: 370% and 190%, respectively.

On an annual basis, ChatGPT downloads increased by 85%. The market average was higher at 110%.

Time spent interacting with Gemini has more than doubled since March. In November, users spent 11 minutes a day on the app (+120%).

ChatGPT’s growth was 6% over the same period, and compared to July figures, November’s figure fell by 10%.

While the data shows a gradual narrowing of the gap between the popularity of ChatGPT and Gemini, Google’s success is largely due to the release of Nano Banana. OpenAI could regain momentum if it introduces new products with comparable audience impact.

GPT-5.2

OpenAI plans a counter-move with the update GPT-5.2. According to The Verge, the release could happen as soon as this week.

The publication reports that the release is ready and could occur this week.

The new version aims to close the gap with Google’s flagship model in benchmarks. Initially, the launch was planned for late December, but competitive pressure forced the company to revise the schedule.

Back in November, Google released a new version of its image generation AI model — Nano Banana Pro.