Threads Records 175 Million Active Users on First Anniversary

Meta’s text-based platform, Threads was just a twinkle in Mark Zuckerberg’s eye a year and a half ago. According to the CEO of Meta, the competition for Elon Musk’s X has now surpassed 175 million active monthly users.

His announcement coincides with the approaching first anniversary of Threads. When it first launched on the App Store on July 5, 2023, Musk was destroying the once-named Twitter service and baiting Mark Zuckerberg into an actual cage fight that never materialized. A year later, Threads is still expanding steadily, if not as swiftly as it did during its explosive launch. Since taking control, Musk hasn’t released comparable X figures.

Monthly users only tell part of Threads’ growth story, as is the case with any social network. In contrast to Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, Meta has not yet disclosed daily user counts, which is indicative. This exclusion implies that a large number of individuals who have not yet established themselves as regular users are still visiting Threads.

Employees at Meta have revealed that Instagram promotion of Thread has continued to be a major factor in the app’s growth in recent months. The same account system is used by both apps, and it is not anticipated to change.

Nevertheless, 175 million monthly users for a one-year app is not a bad number, especially considering Meta’s uneven track record of releasing stand-alone app projects. Zuckerberg has been open saying he believes Threads has a good chance of becoming the next billion-user product for the company. Meta is concentrating on markets where it believes there is a chance to overtake X in market share, like Japan, to maintain the growth narrative.

Although Meta can afford to support Threads indefinitely, for the time being, it remains a financial loss leader for the company. Executives are reportedly considering enabling advertisements on Threads at some point in the upcoming year, while the specific strategy is still being discussed internally. It’s simple to see how Threads could integrate with Instagram’s current advertising platform. Furthermore, advertisers searching for a more brand-safe substitute for X may find Meta to be an appealing option given its deliberate choice to deprioritize politics and promote light-hearted content.

When Threads originally started, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said, “I’m more interested in if it becomes culturally relevant and if it gets hundreds of millions of users. It would be great if it gets big.” After a year, the app’s cultural advancements are undoubtedly still lacking. But Meta has the track to make it happen because it’s still expanding.