Threads continues to hold its place in the app download charts, with Meta’s Twitter replicant remaining at 8th spot in the list, and seeing an increase in overall download volume in May.
As you can see in this latest ranking data from AppFigures, Threads saw 23 million downloads across iOS and Android in May, which is up from 22 million April, and at the same level that the app saw in March.
Threads is now up to 350 million monthly active users, and gaining quickly on X, which reported in March that it’s now up to 600 million monthly actives, an increase of 50 million year-over-year.
Though those figures are somewhat questionable, considering that X has also down 15% on overall European usage since Elon Musk took over at the app, as per its official DSA reporting data. As a private company, X is not obligated to share auditable usage data, but it does have to provide such for Europe, and given that its EU audience is down, it would be surprising if X is somehow gaining significant momentum in other markets, and not only replacing its lost EU users, but also exceeding its previous audience.
But even so, Threads is clearly doing something right, as it continues to gain in download numbers, and attract more people to the app. The platform is increasingly putting more focus on real-time news, while it’s also enhancing its live event elements, including sports, as it seeks to supplant X as the top platform for in-the-moment engagement.
Looking at other app movements, TikTok remains popular, staying in the top three for downloads throughout the year thus far, and switching places back and forth with Instagram for second spot behind ChatGPT. Facebook and WhatsApp have also held their positions in the list, while Snapchat is also still clinging to the top 10.
Though it is also interesting to consider Snap’s relative challenges in this respect, by comparing the performance of these apps.
One of Snapchat’s key problems is that while it remains a key utility for younger audiences, it doesn’t maintain that hold on older users, and as users age up, it loses them to other apps.
That’s somewhat reflected in the data, with Snapchat seeing strong download volume, but sitting on fewer users, at 900 million monthly actives, and 460 million daily users. IG, Facebook and TikTok have all surpassed the billion user milestone, and it’s interesting to see Snap remaining at lower usage levels, despite relative download interest.
It’s another reminder of Snap’s growth challenges, and how it needs to evolve in line with its audience.
