At a Glance
- Threads now counts 141.5 million daily active mobile users, edging past X’s 125 million
- Growth has been steady for months, not a reaction to X’s recent deepfake controversy
- X still leads on the web with about 150 million daily visits versus Threads’ 8.5 million
- Why it matters: Meta’s aggressive cross-promotion and rapid feature rollouts are turning Threads into the default mobile conversation app for many users
Threads has overtaken X in daily active users on mobile, according to fresh data from Similarweb. The Meta-owned app now records 141.5 million daily active users on iOS and Android as of January 7, 2026, while X sits at 125 million on the same platforms.
The shift is the culmination of months of steady gains rather than a knee-jerk exodus triggered by X’s latest scandal. Recent reports revealed that X’s built-in AI, Grok, was being used to generate non-consensual nude images, prompting investigations from California’s attorney general and regulators in the UK, EU, India, Brazil and elsewhere. While those revelations did drive a short-term spike in installs for rival Bluesky, Threads’ upward trajectory began well before the controversy.
Mobile momentum
Meta’s own metrics show Threads reached 400 million monthly active users in August 2025 and 150 million daily active users by October. Third-party figures from Similarweb confirm the mobile app has kept climbing, posting 127.8% year-over-year growth in late June 2025.
Several levers appear to be powering the increase:
- Cross-promotion: Facebook and Instagram routinely surface Threads content and sign-up prompts to their billions of users
- Creator focus: Meta has courted influencers with monetization tools and prominent placement inside Instagram
- Feature velocity: Over the past year Threads has added interest-based communities, advanced filters, direct messages, long-form posts, disappearing posts and is now testing in-app games
Similarweb says the net effect is that opening Threads is becoming a daily habit for more smartphone owners.
Regional split
Inside the United States the race is tighter. X retains a slim lead, but the margin has narrowed dramatically. A year ago X claimed roughly twice as many U.S. daily active users as it does now, according to Similarweb.
Globally, the momentum is clearly with Threads on mobile. Yet the picture flips on the desktop. X maintains about 150 million daily web visits, while Threads.com and Threads.net together attract only 8.5 million visits. As of January 13, X recorded 145.4 million daily web visits, underscoring that many users still treat X as their primary desktop conversation hub.
What comes next
Meta has not announced a timeline for closing the web gap. For now, the company seems content to leverage its mobile advantage, pushing new features every few weeks and funneling traffic from Instagram’s main feed. If current growth rates hold, Threads could widen its mobile lead further through 2026, even as X fights to hold onto its core desktop audience.
Key takeaways
- Threads is now the No. 1 mobile conversation app by daily users, according to Similarweb
- X keeps a commanding lead on the web, showing the platforms are splitting the market by device
- Meta’s strategy of rapid feature drops and heavy cross-promotion inside Instagram appears to be paying off
- Regulatory scrutiny of X’s AI tools has not materially altered the long-term usage trends for either service
