X’s declining Android app installs are hurting subscription revenue

Elon Musk's platform, X, is facing significant challenges on Android devices, with new data revealing a stark decline in downloads. According to insights from app intelligence firm Appfigures, X's Android app installations plummeted by 44% year-over-year in July 2025, even as its iOS counterpart saw a 15% increase. This substantial drop in Android installs has contributed to an overall 26% decrease in total mobile downloads compared to the previous year. The situation appears slightly improved from June's figures, when total downloads had dropped by a more dramatic 35%, largely fueled by a near 50% decline in Android downloads. The reasons behind this trend remain unclear, although the X app is widely recognized as problematic on Android, often cited for its bugs and frequent crashes. Nikita Bier, the newly appointed Head of Product at X, has acknowledged these issues and hinted at a proactive approach. In a recent announcement, Bier revealed plans to assemble an “Android Dream Team” tasked with overhauling the app to enhance user experience. Meanwhile, he noted that X's iOS app achieved a record number of installs during the same period, seemingly to divert attention from the Android slump. As X grapples with its Android challenges, the question arises: where are the displaced users going? While rival platform Bluesky has seen slowed growth, with only 119,000 downloads in July, Meta’s Threads is rapidly gaining traction among users. This increase in daily active users on Threads may be siphoning off some of X's potential Android audience. Compounding these issues, X's subscription revenue is also under pressure. In July, the platform reported $16.9 million in net revenue, down from $18.8 million in March, although this figure showed a slight improvement from June's $16.8 million. Despite these challenges on Android, X continues to derive the bulk of its revenue from advertising, rather than in-app subscriptions. Additionally, competition from Grok, which has launched its own standalone app appealing to users interested in AI features, could be contributing to X's declining subscription base.