While app downloads don’t precisely indicate usage, they can offer insights into market trends. Currently, Instagram’s Threads is emerging as the dominant player as the platform is now experiencing triple the daily downloads of X (formerly Twitter) on iOS worldwide, and more than double the downloads on Google Play.

While Threads witnessed a significant surge in downloads following its public launch in 2023, in the subsequent months, downloads fluctuated as Meta experimented with different strategies to promote the app. Initially, Meta showcased popular Threads content within the timelines of its other platforms, such as  Facebook and Instagram. However, as the initial boosts from these efforts waned, Threads’ downloads fluctuated, often returning to similar levels as X installs, particularly on iOS, based on data from Appfigures.

However, towards late December, Threads experienced a surge, with over half a million installations occurring daily on both Google Play and iOS platforms. Although there was a slight decline in iOS installations in January, the platform consistently outpaces X in daily downloads across both platforms, indicating a widening disparity.

For instance, on February 25, 2024, Threads logged 486,803 installations on Google Play and 342,228 on iOS, according to data from Appfigures. In contrast, X garnered 225,408 downloads on Google Play and 112,625 on iOS during the same period. This signifies nearly triple the iOS downloads for Threads and more than double the downloads on Google Play compared to X.