Meta competitor Threads to X (previously Twitter) hit a 350 million monthly active users mark in Meta’s latest earnings report. The company also recorded a 35% jump in time spent on the platform, attributing improved algorithms used on recommendations for being the reason behind the surge.
A Meta spokesperson cited the momentum of the company, referring to Threads as “on track to be Meta’s next big social app” and “the best choice to X and other text-sharing apps.”
For all this growth, Threads lags behind X, at 600 million per month. That figure has been disputed, however. Elon Musk first used the 600 million in May of 2024, when reports put it at 550 million — and even that has been disputed.
In the past, Twitter (now X) has been criticized for counting bots in active user totals. Previous CEO Jack Dorsey had made the argument in 2022 that bots would be bad for user counts and share value if they were removed. Musk himself had earlier claimed bots comprised 33% of Twitter users, then later claimed about 20%, although he said the actual number might be higher.
Musk proceeded to implement a string of bot cleanses after acquiring it, wiping out an estimated millions of bots. Ironically enough, though, X’s official user counts didn’t decrease, but instead went up, which calls into question their validity. Ironically enough, though, X lost 17 million users in Europe — the sole market that it reports verified numbers for — since Musk acquired it.
Since the fluctuations, X’s numbers cited can be untrue. Meaning that Threads might be almost nearing X’s fanbase more than numbers convey.
In addition to expanding in users, Threads is growing its coverage of sports and live content too, with a recent deal to add activity from the UFC. Meta also eased restrictions on political post content, welcoming Threads to expanded access to news and timely debate — vast areas where X once ruled.
While Threads still has a way to go, its rapidly growing user base, usage, and strategic partnerships suggest it’s flying high quickly — and could soon be the de facto text-based social network.