Launched in July 2023, Threads, a microblogging platform from Meta’s Instagram, quickly attracted attention, reaching 100 million user registrations within just five days. Yet, despite this initial surge, the service faced challenges in maintaining a steady user base. In response to this issue, Meta has since rolled out various new features aimed at improving user engagement. Recent trends indicate that Threads is beginning to regain momentum, evidenced by a rise in download numbers as its rival, X (formerly Twitter), experiences a downturn.
An analysis by app intelligence firm Appfigures revealed that Threads garnered 12 million new downloads from Apple’s App Store and another 16 million from Google Play in December 2023. This performance positioned the platform at number four and number eight on these respective app stores’ Most Downloaded Apps lists. Overall, Threads ranked sixth in total new downloads.
Current estimates suggest that Threads has approximately 160 million users, according to an online tracker. This estimation employs an approximation method based on sampled follower counts, as Meta ceased sharing specific user numbers following July 11, 2023.
Instagram, the parent company of Threads, led the charts with a combined 54 million new downloads, outpacing TikTok, which recorded 47 million. Additionally, other Meta-owned platforms, Facebook and WhatsApp, also secured spots in the top ten, amassing 39 million and 38 million new downloads, respectively.
A report from TechCrunch provided more details on the download rankings, showing that X, owned by Elon Musk, fell to the 36th position with estimated new downloads of 8.5 million. However, this decline may not be as severe as it appears; a PCMag report pointed out that despite the drop, Twitter has been around since 2006 and currently boasts around 540 million users.
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