In a surprising development, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that Threads, the social media platform designed as a Twitter-like app, has quickly reached just under 100 million monthly active users in its first three months of existence. This announcement signals an impressive start for Threads and could potentially disrupt the social media landscape. Threads’ rapid growth has prompted Mark Zuckerberg to envision a billion-person public conversation platform that promotes positivity.
To put this achievement into perspective, Twitter, now known as “X,” currently boasts approximately 253 million daily active users and 550 million monthly active users. However, recent third-party analysis suggests that X has seen a significant decline in usage after its recent name change. Apptopia, a mobile app engagement tracking service, reports that X currently has around 121 million daily active users, which, when extrapolated, would result in approximately 223 million monthly active users. These figures indicate a significant gap between X and Threads, with Threads rapidly catching up.
What makes Threads stand out in the evolving social media landscape? One factor is the changing nature of Twitter, which is experiencing shifts in user behavior due to the platform’s modifications under X’s ownership. X’s approach to content moderation, which relies heavily on crowd-sourced fact-checking through Community Notes, has raised concerns about an increase in misinformation and disinformation. Furthermore, changes to content display, where paying users receive priority, have led to discontent among regular readers. Elon Musk’s criticisms of journalists and mainstream media have also led influential users to consider alternative platforms, like Threads.
Threads’ recent surge in downloads can be attributed to X’s decision to alter how link previews are displayed, as well as global events like the conflict in Israel, which prompted users to seek real-time updates. These developments have created an extended window of opportunity for Threads to attract users who are seeking a more positive and engaging social media experience.
In response to Threads’ growing popularity, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri expressed gratitude for the vote of confidence but remained cautious about the platform’s future. He highlighted the need to expand support for Europe, make early progress in the Fediverse, improve Instagram integrations, and identify emerging trends in the coming months.
With Threads nearing 100 million users, it is poised to carve out its own niche in the social media landscape. The platform’s commitment to fostering positive conversations and its timely expansion couldn’t come at a more opportune moment as users seek alternatives in response to the changing dynamics of established social media platforms. It remains to be seen how Threads will capitalize on this momentum and what the future holds for this budding Twitter-like app.
