What is a super app? Understanding the AI industrys newest trend.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in an earnings call that a new super app centralizing AI tools including Copilot, Code, and Autopilots will be released by the end of summer 2026, making Microsoft the latest company to pursue the trend. OpenAI has already launched its super app to employees, and Anthropic is combining its Cowork tool with Claude, as super apps aim to consolidate AI chatbots, coding assistants, and agentic tools into a single platform.

What is a 'super app'? Understanding the AI industry's newest trend. Timothy Beck Werth /author/timothy-beck-werth Read Full Bio /author/timothy-beck-werth Samantha Mangino /author/samantha-mangino e-reader https://mashable.com/roundup/best-e-readers-2026-tested expert. She's tested all the Kindle https://mashable.com/roundup/best-kindles-2026-tested and Kobo e-readers, diving into the buzziest models. Her love of reading extends beyond the e-reader beat, covering books and authors, too. In the tech space, she covers tablets, smart rings, and headphones. Read Full Bio /author/samantha-mangino Agentic AI https://mashable.com/article/agentic-ai-explainer . Claws https://mashable.com/article/what-are-claws-ai-clawdbot-openclaw . Vibe coding https://mashable.com/article/vibe-coding-word-of-the-year . AGI https://mashable.com/article/ai-definitions-artificial-intelligence-glossary-terms . AI buzzwords come and go pretty quickly these days, and now there's a new AI trend to know: super apps. What is a super app? A super app puts a variety of AI tools into one agentic app. This means that AI chatbots like ChatGPT exist within the same space as AI agents https://mashable.com/tech/microsoft-launches-new-ai-agent-microsoft-scout , i.e. tools that execute multi-step requests with a degree of autonomy. You May Also Like The idea is simple: Soon, you'll no longer be bouncing between your AI chatbot https://mashable.com/tech/how-people-use-ai-chatbots , coding assistant, and agentic tools. "Super apps" will centralize all of these tools within a single app. A super app, if you will. Why are people talking about super apps? In an earning call this week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https://microsoft.com/en-us/investor/earnings/FY-2026-Q4/Document/DownloadDocument/37/TranscriptQandAFY26q4.docx that a new super app will be central to Microsoft's upcoming AI strategy. Terms of Use https://www.ziffdavis.com/terms-of-use and Privacy Policy https://www.ziffdavis.com/ztg-privacy-policy . "This quarter, we also introduced Autopilots, autonomous, long-running agents with full enterprise compliance, including an always-on personal agent powered by OpenClaw," Nadella said. "And this quarter we will bring these Copilot experiences together, including Code, in one 'super app' spanning both consumer and commercial experiences." Nadella said that the super app would be released by the end of summer 2026. Microsoft isn't leading the charge on super apps; they're just the latest company to hop on the trend. AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, are also focusing efforts on super apps https://www.fastcompany.com/91417700/openai-true-ambition-super-app . As reported by Reuters, OpenAI has already launched its super app https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-launches-chatgpt-work-2026-07-09/ to employees. Meanwhile, competitor Anthropic is also combining its agentic Cowork tool with its Claude chatbot, the company recently announced https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/anthropic-will-make-claude-cowork-available-users-cloud-rcna353218 . Super apps could also accomplish something else for AI companies. Because users can access apps like InstaCart https://mashable.com/article/chatgpt-apps-beta-apps-to-try , Uber, Zillow, and OpenTable directly within ChatGPT, these agentic super apps could absorb as much of your online activity as possible into a single company's app. Elon Musk reportedly wants to turn X into an everything app https://mashable.com/tech/elon-musk-x-launches-x-money as well, and with super apps, his biggest AI rivals appear to be moving in the same direction. Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems. Topics Artificial Intelligence https://mashable.com/category/artificial-intelligence Microsoft https://mashable.com/category/microsoft Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl. Tim studied print journalism at the University of Southern California. He currently splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Charleston, SC. He's currently working on his second novel, a science-fiction book.