Threads, Meta’s X competitor that looked to capitalize on user discontent with billionaire Elon Musk’s acquisition and rebranding of Twitter, is inching closer to potentially overtaking X in daily active users on mobile devices, according to data shared with Forbes by SimilarWeb.
Key Facts
- Threads’ number of daily active users has steadily risen over the past year as daily active users for X in the United States have slightly declined, according to SimilarWeb data.
- As of July 15, Threads has about 16 million daily active users on iOS and Android devices, about double the amount of daily active users it had at this point last year.
- X still leads Threads, with about 23.1 million daily active users in the United States on mobile devices as of July 15, according to SimilarWeb, though its lead has shrunk dramatically over time.
- At this point last year, X had about 21 million more daily active users on mobile devices in the United States than Threads.
- On just iOS devices, the gap is much closer: X has about 15.3 million daily active users as of July 15, whereas Threads has 13.1 million daily active users.
- X maintains a significant lead over Threads for web visitors in the United States, with X maintaining about 33 million daily web visits as of July 15, compared with Threads’ 1 million daily web visits.
- Threads’ mobile traffic may benefit from its close ties to Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram, as the mobile versions of both platforms offer buttons for users to click to open the Threads app.
Will Threads Pass X?
It’s unclear. David Carr, insights news and research editor at Similarweb, told Forbes there is “strong evidence” Threads is catching up to X, particularly on mobile devices, but he is “not sure Threads will surpass X.” X’s superior web traffic suggests some users still visit X to check trending topics, even if they are not regular users of the mobile app, Carr said.
Key Background
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta began rolling out Threads in most countries in July 2023, also launching in European Union nations later that year. The launch came months after Musk purchased Twitter in October 2022, which sparked backlash and an exodus of some users to competitor platforms after Musk rebranded the network to “X” and made significant changes to its verification process, content moderation policies and other features. X’s usage continued to slip after the 2024 presidential election, after which President Donald Trump regained office and enlisted Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, though it’s unclear how much of X’s declining userbase is a result of Musk’s political activities. Other competitors, like Bluesky, have also gained traction as an alternative to X, though daily active usage of Bluesky lags far behind Meta and Threads among U.S. mobile device users with about 1 million daily users, according to SimilarWeb data.
Forbes Valuation
Musk is the wealthiest person in the world according to Forbes estimates, with a net worth of $413 billion as of Friday afternoon, largely thanks to his stakes in his companies Tesla and SpaceX. Zuckerberg, who owns about 13% of Meta’s stock, is the third-wealthiest person, with a net worth of $242.8 billion according to Forbes estimates.
This article was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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