Threads, Meta’s text-based extension of Instagram, experienced a significant drop in its active user base after an initial surge in sign-ups. According to a report from CNN, citing Sensor Tower, the daily active user count for Threads plummeted by 82 percent since its launch, with only eight million users now using the app daily as of July 31. This is the lowest count since the app’s debut last month, when it had around 44 million active users at its peak.
Sensor Tower’s report also revealed that users are now opening the Threads app much less frequently than before, spending only about 2.9 minutes per day, compared to the initial launch when they spent 19 minutes scrolling. Similarweb, another research analyst firm, confirmed these findings, stating that Threads reached its highest user count of approximately 49 million on July 7, the day after launch, but has steadily declined to just over 11 million by July 29, with the steepest drop occurring in the last two weeks.
Even Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg’s activity on Threads has decreased. While he still replies to posts, he is not sharing organic posts as frequently as during the initial launch.
Threads initially garnered massive hype, fueled by the so-called Twitter crisis. In its first week, the platform saw an impressive 100 million sign-ups. During the company’s earnings call, CEO Zuckerberg expressed optimism about Threads, citing unprecedented growth and increased daily engagement. The app’s links to Instagram likely contributed to the surge in user count, as users can easily log in using their Instagram ID, which has over a billion users.
Meanwhile, Twitter, now known as X, has seemingly stolen Threads’ thunder, with X-owner Elon Musk claiming his platform has nothing to worry about. Musk rebranded Twitter as X and introduced an ad revenue-sharing program, allowing active users to earn money for their tweets. This feature is gradually expanding to other countries. In contrast, neither Instagram nor Threads offers an ad revenue-sharing program. Furthermore, X has promised to transform its app into an “everything” app to retain and attract new users.
