Threads edges out X in daily mobile users, new data shows

Recent analysis from market intelligence firm Similarweb indicates that Meta's Threads app has surpassed Elon Musk's X in terms of daily mobile users. While X continues to lead Threads in web traffic, the mobile app has experienced a significant rise in daily active users on both iOS and Android platforms in recent months. As of January 7, 2026, Threads boasted approximately 141.5 million daily active users on mobile devices, compared to X's 125 million. This upward trend appears to stem from broader patterns in user behavior rather than being solely a reaction to recent controversies surrounding X, including troubling incidents involving its AI, Grok. These incidents have raised alarm bells and led to investigations by various jurisdictions, including California, the UK, EU, India, and Brazil. In light of the challenges faced by X, competitors like the social networking startup Bluesky have seen a surge in app installations. Meanwhile, Threads' growth in mobile usage is likely bolstered by strategic cross-promotions from Meta's established social platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, where Threads is frequently marketed to users. Additionally, Threads has been focusing on enhancing user experience by introducing new features, including interest-based communities, improved filters, direct messaging, long-form text options, disappearing posts, and even game trials. According to Meta's own statistics, Threads reached over 400 million monthly active users by August 2025, with a reported 150 million daily active users in October of the same year. The continued rise in daily active users indicates that many are adopting Threads as part of their regular social media habits. Similarweb's findings from last summer highlighted that Threads was closing the gap with X on mobile, achieving an impressive 127.8% growth year-over-year by late June 2025. Although X still leads in the U.S. market, the margin is decreasing; a year prior, X had double the daily active users compared to now. While Threads struggles to gain traction on the web, X maintains a stable online audience with around 150 million daily web visits. As of January 13, X attracted 145.4 million daily visits, while Threads recorded only 8.5 million visits across its web platforms.