Meta's Threads, the social platform designed to compete directly with Elon Musk’s X, is surging in popularity, nearing a remarkable 275 million monthly users, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed in an analyst call. Since its July 2023 launch, Threads has consistently drawn new users, marking an impressive 175% growth in active users over the past year. Now onboarding over a million new sign-ups daily, the app continues to make significant strides in the social media landscape.
The app's growth trajectory demonstrates Meta's ambition to establish Threads as a core part of its app ecosystem. "We continue to be on track towards this becoming our next major social app," Zuckerberg noted, expressing optimism about Threads' role within Meta’s family of products. This user growth is particularly significant when viewed against its primary competitor, X, which has experienced a 24% drop in users since Musk acquired it for $44 billion in October 2022, leaving X with around 318 million monthly active users, according to Sensor Tower.
While Threads’ audience numbers approach those of X, Meta is focusing on building a platform that goes beyond competing with Musk's app. Meta’s Chief Financial Officer Susan Li shared that Threads’ growth remains a priority, though it won’t contribute significantly to Meta’s 2025 revenue goals. Currently, advertising accounts for 98.3% of Meta’s income, and while Threads’ monetization isn’t immediate, analysts predict that ads will be introduced and scaled across the platform starting next year.
Across all of Meta’s platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, the company’s daily active users have reached 3.29 billion, reflecting a steady 5% year-over-year increase, though just below some analyst projections. Still, the Threads platform is seeing high engagement, as the company invests in building features that foster user satisfaction and retention. As Li emphasized, Meta’s focus is on listening to its users and iterating on the platform to meet their needs.
Threads’ growth story is one to watch, signaling Meta’s continued influence in the social media landscape and its ability to capture a massive audience despite a competitive market. With Meta's sustained focus on expanding and adapting Threads to meet user interests, the app could be an evolving force in social networking.
