Meta’s social media app Threads has achieved a remarkable milestone, amassing 275 million monthly active users (MAUs), Meta executive Adam Mosseri announced on Sunday.
Mosseri, who heads Threads and Instagram, celebrated the news, acknowledging both the platform’s growth and its development needs: “Yesterday we crossed 275M monthly active users on @Threads. A big thank you to everyone who’s helped us get this far. There’s a lot more to do, and plenty of things to fix, but there’s something exciting about this place,” he said.
Threads initially launched in July 2023 as Meta’s strategic answer to the widespread user dissatisfaction with X (formerly Twitter) following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform. Meta seized the moment, rolling out Threads as a fresh, text-based social platform aimed at capitalizing on the discontent among X users and the broader social media community.
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Within a few days of its launch, Threads gained 100 million users, a feat that made it the fastest-growing social network in history at that time, creating massive anticipation that it would soon rival X directly. However, despite this initial surge, Threads has struggled to retain that momentum, and user activity levels have not yet consistently matched the expectation of becoming a full-fledged X alternative.
The app’s early success came as a wave of disillusioned X users sought an alternative. Elon Musk’s approach to management—layoffs, controversial policy changes, and a relaxation of content moderation—led to an exodus of both everyday users and some high-profile figures. Sensing a unique opportunity, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg fast-tracked the development of Threads as a streamlined, text-first platform aimed at providing a friendlier, more stable environment for users seeking a Twitter-like experience.
Zuckerberg hoped that by integrating Threads with Instagram’s user base, the app would have an automatic edge in building a loyal community. Meta made it easy for Instagram users to join Threads by leveraging their Instagram profiles, which helped boost Threads’ initial adoption rate.
Despite the initial rush and a user base now standing at 275 million MAUs, Threads has faced challenges in its quest to establish itself as a true alternative to X. Zuckerberg confirmed during Meta’s Q3 2024 earnings call that approximately one million new users are signing up daily. While this growth appears steady, it has not been sufficient to retain engagement levels at the platform’s launch pace.
In August, Threads had achieved the milestone of 200 million MAUs, meaning it gained another 75 million users in three months. However, this pace, while significant, reveals the challenge of achieving long-term retention and engagement that could draw a critical mass away from X.
Experts suggest that Threads’ struggle to attract long-term users from X may stem from several factors. Unlike X, which offers users a robust set of features like trending topics, direct messaging, and customizable news feeds, Threads is still in its feature-building stage, limiting its appeal to users accustomed to X’s functionality. Although Meta has promised improvements, the platform’s limited feature set and minimal customization options may be causing hesitation among users who are seeking a full-fledged social media experience.
Adding to the challenge, content moderation has become a recurring issue on Threads. Despite Meta’s efforts to position the platform as a friendlier, safer alternative to X, users have raised concerns over content moderation inconsistencies. Mosseri acknowledged this, stating that “there’s a lot more to do, and plenty of things to fix,” underlining that Meta recognizes the need to address both moderation and platform stability.
While Zuckerberg’s goal of creating a viable X alternative has proven more challenging than anticipated, Threads’ gradual upward trend indicates it still holds potential. For now, however, the platform remains on a growth journey, still working to prove it can ultimately capture—and keep—the loyalty of users who once considered X indispensable.