Threads Surpasses X in Daily Mobile Users
▼ Summary
– Threads now has more daily mobile users than X, with 141.5 million versus 125 million as of early January 2026.
– Threads’ mobile growth is attributed to Meta’s cross-promotion, focus on creators, and rapid feature rollout, not recent X controversies.
– X faces investigations in multiple regions, including California, over its AI tool Grok being used to create non-consensual explicit images.
– While Threads leads on mobile, X still dominates on the web with about 145 million daily visits compared to Threads’ 8.5 million.
– The gap between the two platforms is narrowing in the U.S., where X’s daily active user count is now half what it was a year ago.
A new analysis of mobile app usage reveals a significant shift in the social media landscape. Meta’s Threads app has now surpassed X in daily active users on mobile devices, according to data from market intelligence firm Similarweb. While X retains a strong lead in web-based traffic, the Threads mobile application for iOS and Android has demonstrated consistent growth over recent months, culminating in this user milestone.
The firm’s latest figures indicate that as of early January 2026, Threads boasted approximately 141.5 million daily active users on mobile platforms. In comparison, X reported around 125 million daily mobile users during the same period. This development appears to stem from sustained strategic efforts rather than a sudden reaction to recent controversies surrounding X. Those incidents involved users exploiting X’s integrated AI tool, Grok, to generate non-consensual explicit imagery, prompting investigations by authorities in California and several other global jurisdictions. While that situation did drive some users to alternative platforms like Bluesky, Threads’ upward trajectory seems fueled by different factors.
Threads’ growth is largely attributed to Meta’s powerful ecosystem and consistent feature development. The platform benefits immensely from cross-promotion within Facebook and Instagram, where it is regularly advertised to a massive existing user base. A dedicated focus on attracting creators and a rapid pace of innovation have also played crucial roles. Over the past year, Threads has introduced a suite of new functionalities including interest-based communities, enhanced filtering options, direct messaging, support for long-form text, disappearing posts, and is even experimenting with integrated games. This steady stream of updates encourages more habitual daily use.
Meta’s own official metrics support this growth narrative. The company announced in August 2025 that Threads had surpassed 400 million monthly active users, followed by an October report citing 150 million daily active users. The trends observed by third-party analysts like Similarweb have been building for many months; last summer, the firm noted Threads was rapidly closing the mobile gap with X after recording year-over-year growth exceeding 127%.
It is important to note the competitive picture varies by platform and region. X maintains a dominant position in web traffic and within the United States market, though its lead is shrinking. Similarweb data shows X consistently attracts about 150 million daily web visits, while Threads’ web presence remains minimal with only a few million visits daily. A year ago, X had nearly double the daily active users in the U.S. that it has today, indicating a narrowing but still significant advantage for the older platform in its core market. This data paints a picture of a social media arena where different platforms are carving out strengths in specific domains, with Threads establishing itself as a major mobile-first contender.
(Source: TechCrunch)
