Club Benefits
TL;DR — key stats from the Bango survey of 1,400 ChatGPT users in the U.S.
- 72% of U.S. ChatGPT subscribers have set ChatGPT as their homepage on desktop and mobile (replacing traditional search engines like Google)
- 78% have added the ChatGPT widget to their phone or tablet home screen
- 74% say they’d be open to paying for products directly through ChatGPT
- 72% expect to use individual apps less because services like Spotify and Maps can be accessed inside ChatGPT
- 75% would prefer to complete all daily digital tasks without leaving ChatGPT
- 77% want their AI subscription included as part of a multi-service bundle
- 74% want AI services included as part of their phone contract
A new survey suggests ChatGPT isn’t just an occassional AI tool for quick answers or writing help anymore. For a growing number of users, it’s becoming the first screen they open — and the place they expect to run more of their daily digital life.
That’s a big signal that AI is shifting from something you “use sometimes” to something you start with — and it could change how people search, shop and get things done online.
ChatGPT is now the first click of the day
Bango’s survey of 1,400 U.S. ChatGPT subscribers also found that 78% have added a ChatGPT widget to their phone or tablet home screen — making it even easier to open AI instantly without launching a browser first.
And this looks like more than a simple shortcut. Instead of typing a search query, scanning results and clicking through links, more users are starting with a conversation and letting ChatGPT do the filtering for them.
The survey also suggests this AI-first behavior is starting to move beyond search and into shopping. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of subscribers said they’d be open to paying for products directly inside ChatGPT, pointing toward a future where fewer clicks and fewer tabs could lead to more purchases happening right in the chat.
ChatGPT is pushing users away from standalone apps
Bango also found that 72% of subscribers expect to use individual apps less, especially as more services become accessible inside ChatGPT — including tools for music, navigation and planning.
And 75% said they’d prefer to complete daily digital tasks without leaving ChatGPT, which is a big hint that users want a single place to manage their online lives, not a dozen separate apps fighting for attention.
Users want AI bundled like everything else
Bango’s data also shows subscribers are thinking about AI the same way they think about streaming services: something that should be packaged, discounted and built into other subscriptions.
- 77% want their AI subscription included in a multi-service bundle
- 74% want AI included as part of their phone contract
That’s a big opportunity for wireless carriers, device makers and subscription platforms looking for new ways to lock in customers — especially as AI becomes a daily habit instead of an occasional tool.
Bottom line
If you're wondering what this means for Google and other major AI platforms like Perplexity and Claude, it signals a shift, but it doesn't mean Google Search is dead.
Search volume is still massive, and plenty of people don’t trust AI to be accurate enough for everything.
If more users begin their day inside ChatGPT instead of inside Google, that changes how discovery works — for advertisers, app developers and publishers. It’s less about who ranks first on a results page and more about who gets surfaced inside the AI experience people open before anything else.
As Bango subscription expert Giles Tongue put it, “Consumers are increasingly building their digital lives around ChatGPT… Companies that embrace this new AI access layer will stay closest to their customers.”
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