Amid broader dialogue concerning the relative reputation (or not) of Threads versus Elon Musk’s X venture, I current to you the most recent app obtain charts, masking the month of July 2024.
As you may see on this itemizing, sourced from app analytics supplier AppFigures, Meta continues to dominate the general listings, with Instagram being essentially the most downloaded app for the month, whereas Fb, WhatsApp, Threads, and Messenger all made the highest 10.
Which is just about the norm. Meta all the time has round 4 or 5 apps within the high downloads itemizing, although the regular efficiency of Threads right here is worthy of word.
For context, based mostly on earlier experiences from AppFigures, Threads was:
Threads wasn’t listed within the high 10 downloads for another month since its launch, besides in July 2023, the month that Threads was first launched, and it rocketed to the highest of the obtain charts.
And now, a yr later, Threads has are available in at seventh in July this yr.
So on stability, Threads does appear to be gaining traction over time, as extra folks proceed to obtain the app.
X, in fact, shouldn’t be listed right here, although AppFigures has beforehand reported that Threads downloads are outpacing X downloads by a major margin.
After all, downloads and energetic customers are two wholly totally different measurements, and at current, X nonetheless has much more customers than Threads does.
However as a pattern, the information continues to point rising curiosity in Threads, whereas X is dropping customers in some areas.
Does that imply that Threads is on monitor to supplant X?
Properly, on an extended sufficient timeline, certain, Threads is pacing, at current, to have extra actives than X at some stage. However that timeline continues to be years out, and that’s additionally banking on the truth that Threads will continues to be downloaded on the identical charges.
As a more moderen app, it is smart that Threads would see extra downloads, as folks come to attempt it out. However then once more, Instagram and Fb are a lot older, they usually’re nonetheless seeing important consideration, based mostly on this itemizing.
So actually, if X was gaining traction, it ought to be listed right here too. The truth that it’s not is a regarding signal, although X followers will level out that X continues to be killing it within the “Information” class on iOS, the place it’s essentially the most downloaded information app, beating out a variety of legacy information suppliers.
However that’s an utter misnomer.
X shouldn’t be a “Information” app, it’s a social media platform, and X is just listed as a information instrument on iOS as a result of former Twitter administration wished to keep away from comparability to Fb within the social media class.
Apparently, X can’t truly change its designation to “Information” on the Google Play Retailer as nicely, as a result of it’s primarily reliant on user-generated content material, and as such, doesn’t qualify beneath Google’s parameters as a information supplier. Which looks like a good measure on this respect, however as I’ve famous beforehand, X shouldn’t be a Information app, and the declare that it’s the main information supplier is predicated on a wholly false premise.
I imply, it’s competing with information apps with round a tenth, or much less, of its energetic consumer rely. In order that’s a nothing argument.
Basically, the information story for Threads does present that it’s gaining traction over time. However for those who wished a greater indication of how shortly it’s gaining, this chart, from SimilarWeb, might be one of the best total indicator.
Threads is gaining, nevertheless it’ll nonetheless take a very long time to overhaul X at its present development charges.
That would change shortly, as Elon continues to make divisive feedback, and X may also battle to remain in enterprise, as advertisers maintain pulling out. However the backside line is that sure, Threads is doing nicely, in relative phrases. But it surely’s nonetheless bought a solution to go to catch as much as X.
