Guide

How to connect apps to ChatGPT

ChatGPT can read from services like Google Drive or Slack once you connect them, but the settings have moved and been renamed more than once. Here's where connected apps live now, how to link one, what ChatGPT gets to see, and how to cut it off again.

Updated 30 October 2026

Quick answer: open Settings > Plugins, pick the app (for example Google Drive), select Install plugin or Connect, and sign in with the account that holds your files. Then mention the app with @ in a chat, or pick it from the + menu. To remove access later, go back to the same place and choose Disconnect.

Checked against OpenAI's help pages on 30 October 2026. OpenAI calls these "apps" and groups them into plugins; very old versions of the mobile app may still show Apps instead of Plugins. Which apps you see depends on your plan, region, workspace and the device you use.

Connect an app

Open Settings and select Plugins.
Choose the app you want, or the plugin that contains it.
If you see Install plugin, select it. This can kick off the app's setup straight away.
When asked, select Connect and sign in to the service.
Read the list of permissions on the provider's screen and approve them.

Sign in with the account that can already open the files or messages you care about. A personal Google account won't give ChatGPT access to documents that only your work account can see. For Google apps, ChatGPT needs every permission it asks for: if you get a message saying so, select Try again and use Select all on Google's screen, or choose Select fewer apps in ChatGPT to connect fewer Google services.

Some apps need no sign-in of their own, and at work some are connected by an administrator for you.

Use it in a conversation

Open a chat.
Type @ and pick the app, or select + and choose it from the menu (on some screens it sits under More).
Say what you want, for example: "Find the Q4 budget sheet in Google Drive and list the three biggest costs."
If ChatGPT asks for approval before reading or doing something, check the request and approve it.

Depending on the app, ChatGPT can search and quote from the service, use it as a source in deep research, show interactive cards or maps, or take supported actions such as creating or updating something. If you're working with files you have on your computer instead, see how to upload files to ChatGPT.

Choose when ChatGPT asks first

Each app has permission settings that decide when ChatGPT stops to ask you. As of October 2026 the options can include Always ask, Allow read actions, Allow low-risk actions and, for some eligible apps, Allow all actions. The last one lets supported actions run without another confirmation, so use it with care. These settings only change when you're asked; they never give an app more access than you granted when you connected it.

What ChatGPT can read, and what the app sees

From the app: only what the connected account can already reach, within the permissions you approved and any workspace rules.
Memory: if Memory is on, ChatGPT may remember relevant details it read from an app, unless that app blocks it.
The other way: an app you enable may receive relevant context from your conversation and, with Memory on, from your memories. It can also see basic details like your IP address, browser type, language and approximate location. Each app's own terms and privacy policy apply.
Training: on Free, Go, Plus and Pro, information from apps may be used to train models if Improve the model for everyone is on (see how to turn that off). On Business, Enterprise and Edu it isn't used by default.
Limits: app use may count toward your plan's limits and the provider's own limits.

Disconnect an app

Go to Settings > Plugins and select the app or plugin.
If Connected accounts is shown, open the account's ••• menu. Otherwise use Connection or the plugin's ••• menu.
Select Disconnect.

This stops future access through that account; other connected accounts keep working. Uninstalling a plugin can disconnect every account linked through it, so read the warning first. Past chats, saved files and memories are not deleted automatically. You may also want to remove ChatGPT's access in the provider's own account settings.

If it doesn't work

The app isn't listed. Check that you're in the right ChatGPT account or workspace, and that the app is offered on your plan, region and device.
It says "Disabled by admin". In a work workspace, ask an administrator to enable the app or its plugin in the Admin Console.
It uses the wrong account. Open the app under Settings > Plugins, check which account is connected, and use Connect another account if it's offered, or disconnect and connect again.
"All permissions are required". Select Reconnect and approve every permission for the apps you picked.

Sources

Connected apps in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center, checked 30 October 2026)
Connecting and managing app accounts in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center, checked 30 October 2026)
Troubleshooting plugins and apps in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center, checked 30 October 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between an app and a plugin?

An app links ChatGPT to an outside service such as Google Drive. A plugin is a package that can hold one or more apps, skills, or both; some plugins contain only skills. Installing a plugin doesn't skip the app's own sign-in or workspace approval.

Can I connect two Google accounts?

Some apps support more than one connected account. If the app's page under Settings > Plugins shows Connect another account, you can add a second one there and name the account you mean in your request.

Does disconnecting delete what ChatGPT already read?

No. Existing chats, saved files and memories stay until you delete them yourself, and the provider's own account controls are separate.