Threads app usage plummets despite initial promise as refuge from Twitter

The daily usage of Threads, Meta’s answer to Twitter, continues to slump after a strong start in its first weeks of existence.

Engagement with the social media app is down 79% from a high of 2.3 million active users in early July to 576,000 as of 7 August, according to Similarweb, a digital intelligence platform.

In addition to users jumping ship, large US companies like the fast food chain Wendy’s, the clothing store Anthropologie and Rare Beauty, a makeup line, have all decreased the number of posts they publish on Threads, Adweek reports.

Within the first few hours of its launch on 5 July, Threads garnered an impressive 5m user registrations and within less than a week at least 100 million people had signed up for it, making it the most rapidly downloaded app.

But it appears that the initial thrill has steadily waned. On its busiest day, the number of users of Threads was less than half that of Twitter, according to Similarweb data. Twitter averages more than 100 million active daily users.

Threads was meant to capitalize on the chaos at Twitter since its takeover by Musk, and unseat the app as a go-to text-based social media platform.

Since taking over Twitter in October 2022, Musk has laid off the majority of the app’s staff and pushed through a series of controversial policy changes that have led to a decline in advertising revenue. Longtime users have complained about frequent glitches and increased hateful and vitriolic speech on the platform.

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg and Musk have publicly sparred, and even considered a cage fight this summer. On Sunday, Zuckerberg said it was time to drop the idea because Musk didn’t appear to be serious about it, the Meta chief told his Threads followers.

“I think we can all agree Elon isn’t serious and it’s time to move on,” Zuckerberg’s post reads. “Elon won’t confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead. If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me.”

Meta did not immediately return a request for comment.