Threads vs. X: Who's Winning the Download Race? The Unexpected Shift in App Popularity

Meta Platforms Inc's META Instagram Threads app is experiencing a download surge, outperforming X (formerly Twitter), particularly since November 23. 

App intelligence firm Apptopia reports Threads' daily downloads jumped from about 350,000 in early November to 620,000, while X's downloads have been lower. 

Since September, Threads has amassed 41 million new downloads, compared to X's 27 million, including its Twitter Lite version, TechCrunch reports.

The growth in Threads' downloads reflected Meta's advertising efforts for the app, a Twitter alternative. 

Notably, the app's traction is mostly from international markets, with India being the most significant contributor, accounting for 11.2% of the new downloads. The U.S. follows with 7.4%.

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On the other hand, X is seeing its most significant new download numbers from Indonesia and India. However, the total new downloads for X in these countries are fewer than those for Threads in India alone. 

X's rebranding and subsequent drop in app store rankings have impacted its growth, even though 'Twitter Lite' experienced a spike in installs during the initial phase of the rebranding.

Despite Threads' rapid user increase, X remains a more prominent platform with over 500 million monthly active users, compared to Threads' nearly 100 million, as reported in Meta's latest earnings. Threads' user base has grown significantly since its launch, reaching 141 million users by November 10.

X is currently facing challenges, including an advertiser exodus following controversial remarks by its owner, Elon Musk. Despite this, X remains a primary platform for breaking news, as demonstrated by the recent OpenAI boardroom drama. 

Instagram head Adam Mosseri has stated that Threads will not focus on amplifying news or providing chronological search results to avoid safety issues.

Price Action: META shares are trading lower by 1.17% at $316.31 on the last check Tuesday.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.