ChatGPT uninstalls surge as OpenAI defence deal fuels app backlash

US users reacted swiftly after OpenAI confirmed a partnership with the Department of Defense, now rebranded under the Trump administration as the Department of War.

Fresh data shows a sharp shift in downloads, app rankings, and user reviews within days of the announcement.

Market intelligence firms report that ChatGPT faced a wave of uninstalls, weaker growth momentum, and falling ratings, while rival Anthropic’s Claude gained significant traction.

Uninstalls spike

According to Sensor Tower, US app uninstalls of ChatGPT’s mobile app jumped 295% day over day on Saturday, February 28.

That marked a significant departure from the app’s typical day-over-day uninstall rate of 9% over the past 30 days.

At the same time, download growth weakened.

After rising 14% day over day on Friday, before the partnership news became public, US downloads dropped to 13% on Saturday.

They fell to 5% on Sunday, extending the slowdown into the weekend.

User sentiment was also visible in the ratings.

Sensor Tower reported that one-star reviews for ChatGPT surged 775% on Saturday and then increased another 100% day over day on Sunday.

During the same period, five-star reviews declined by 50%.

Claude gains ground

Anthropic’s Claude benefited from the shift.

Sensor Tower data showed US downloads for Claude rose 37% day over day on Friday, February 27, and climbed 51% on Saturday, February 28.

The increase followed Anthropic’s public statement that it would not partner with the US defence department.

The company said it could not agree to deal terms due to concerns that AI could be used to surveil Americans or deployed in fully autonomous weapons, which it believes AI is not yet ready to handle safely at scale.

Appfigures reported that Claude’s total daily US downloads on Saturday surpassed those of ChatGPT for the first time.

Its own estimates placed Claude’s US download growth at 88% day over day on Saturday.

Rankings reshuffled

The momentum was reflected in app store rankings.

Claude reached the No. 1 spot on the US App Store on Saturday and remained number one as of Monday, March 2.

That represents a rise of more than 20 positions compared with February 22, 2026.

Appfigures also noted that Claude became the No. 1 free iPhone app in six countries outside the US, including Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, and Switzerland.

Similarweb offered additional context. It reported that Claude’s US downloads over the past week were roughly 20 times higher than in January.

However, it cautioned that the spike may not be driven solely by political concerns and could reflect other contributing factors, including broader interest in AI tools.

Together, the data from Sensor Tower, Appfigures, and Similarweb indicate a rapid and measurable shift in user behaviour following the defence partnership announcement.