Threads usage plummets 80% in month after launch

Despite a big launch for Meta’s Twitter/X challenger, Threads, a month on it appears that user numbers have now dropped precipitously, according to worldwide Android user figures compiled by Similarweb.

Why the Threads exodus matters

What had appeared an open goal for text-based Instagram spin-off, launching Threads has turned out to be more difficult than presenting a clone to the world and users flocking to the app. But soon after launch, Meta was getting to work on “retention hooks” to stem the drop off.

The story reveals a couple of different threads: first, Elon Musk’s bonfire of the brand assets hasn’t turned Twitter/X’s steady and apparently committed user base away. The website’s stickiness seems to be stronger than the brand for now – and brands’ effects are better understood when money is changing hands.

Second, perhaps kicking off a competitor under the Instagram was good to drive sign-ups but not so good at creating a sticky product; Instagram remains incredibly popular, but often people’s follow lists are built around different criteria from that of a Twitter follow. Effectively, the lesson is that communities and their culture aren’t simply a resource that can be redirected.

The stats

According to Similarweb:

• Threads Android app peaked at 49.3m daily users on 7 July 
• By 7 August, daily users had fallen to 10.3m: a drop of 79%
• Time spent has fallen 85% in the same period, with 14 minutes average in July down to just 3 minutes in August
• To compare: Twitter’s daily active users aren’t growing by much but remain incredibly stable, as does the 25 minutes average time spent.

Brand on the platform

Meanwhile, Adweek reports that brands are ceasing to be as active on Threads, partly as a result of a smaller audience but also due to a lack of performance data. Unlike Meta’s other apps, Threads remains in an experimentation phase for a lot of brands.

Sourced from Similarweb, Adweek, Reuters, WARC