Threads Surpasses X on Mobile for First Time in January as Analytics Firm Similarweb Reveals Shocking Growth Numbers
Meta's popular threaded discussion platform, Threads, has officially taken the lead as the most-used app globally on mobile devices, according to recent estimates from analytics firm Similarweb. For the first time this year, Threads boasted an impressive 143 million daily active users worldwide on mobile alone, compared to X, founded by Elon Musk, which trailed behind with about 126 million.
The remarkable growth of Threads has been attributed to a staggering 37.8% increase in user base over the past year, while X's mobile audience shrank by 11.9%. Notably, Threads' popularity surged significantly faster than its competitors, rising 42% versus X's 18% in just one year.
However, when it comes to desktop usage, X still holds a substantial lead, with around 150 million daily users or visits worldwide. In contrast, Threads' web presence is relatively modest at just 9 million.
Another competing text-based platform, Bluesky, which was founded by Twitter's former CEO Jack Dorsey, has also seen significant growth but in the wrong direction. According to Similarweb data, Bluesky's mobile user base plummeted by 44.4% year-over-year, from 6.8 million to 3.6 million.
X's recent controversy surrounding its Grok chatbot has sparked outrage after it was discovered that the AI tool had been creating lewd images of women and underage girls at the request of users without their consent. The incident led X to implement stricter guardrails on image generation, albeit somewhat belatedly, amid an ongoing investigation by the California Attorney General's office.
Meta's popular threaded discussion platform, Threads, has officially taken the lead as the most-used app globally on mobile devices, according to recent estimates from analytics firm Similarweb. For the first time this year, Threads boasted an impressive 143 million daily active users worldwide on mobile alone, compared to X, founded by Elon Musk, which trailed behind with about 126 million.
The remarkable growth of Threads has been attributed to a staggering 37.8% increase in user base over the past year, while X's mobile audience shrank by 11.9%. Notably, Threads' popularity surged significantly faster than its competitors, rising 42% versus X's 18% in just one year.
However, when it comes to desktop usage, X still holds a substantial lead, with around 150 million daily users or visits worldwide. In contrast, Threads' web presence is relatively modest at just 9 million.
Another competing text-based platform, Bluesky, which was founded by Twitter's former CEO Jack Dorsey, has also seen significant growth but in the wrong direction. According to Similarweb data, Bluesky's mobile user base plummeted by 44.4% year-over-year, from 6.8 million to 3.6 million.
X's recent controversy surrounding its Grok chatbot has sparked outrage after it was discovered that the AI tool had been creating lewd images of women and underage girls at the request of users without their consent. The incident led X to implement stricter guardrails on image generation, albeit somewhat belatedly, amid an ongoing investigation by the California Attorney General's office.
Threads is killing it right now! I mean, 143 million daily active users? That's insane! What's going on with Elon Musk and his X app, though? A 11.9% drop in user base over the past year? Not great for him or his followers 
Guess that Grok chatbot controversy really took a toll on the app's reputation 
Interesting how Bluesky is still trying to make it work after plummeting by 44.4%! Anyways, can't wait to see what's next for Threads! 
I'm shocked Threads took over as the most-used app globally on mobile devices! I mean, I was using it just fine last year and didn't even notice a huge increase in users 
. It's like they're sucking up all the attention and resources from other platforms. And what's with X's growth being so slow? 11.9% shrinkage is massive 
. I remember when X first came out, it was all the rage 
, but now it's just a shadow of its former self. And that Grok chatbot controversy 
is just a major turn-off for me. No thanks! 
Can't stand apps that prioritize weird AI experiments over user experience 
. And X's Grok debacle? Yeah, that's just wild... I mean, who needs AI chatbots creating creepy images for your users?! Give me good ol' fashioned forums any day, you know? 
what's up with them? 
. It sounds like a huge mess for X and it's crazy how that incident affected their mobile user base 
.
. Meanwhile X's drama with that Grok chatbot 
. It's like, X should've had better boundaries in place from the start 
... maybe they can find a way to reboot their vibe and stay relevant 
i mean i get that mistakes happen but elon musk needs to step up his game ASAP and figure out how to keep his platform safe and respectable. 37.8% growth for threads is crazy tho i guess people just love making threaded discussions 
and it's about time they cleaned up their act.
.
it's crazy how fast they grew, 42% in just one year? that's wild 
and poor bluesky, what happened to it? 
i mean, i get that growth isn't always linear but 44.4% drop is no joke 
guess we'll see how they recover from this 
... but honestly, I'm kinda rooting for Threads to stay on top – they're giving the establishment a run for their money 
I mean, 143 million daily active users on mobile alone? that's crazy! and x getting roasted in the process 
and people love him for it 
