Elon Musk’s X is seeing sharp declines on Android devices while maintaining growth on iOS. According to new figures from Appfigures, global downloads of X from Google Play in July 2025 fell by 44% year-over-year. Meanwhile, iOS downloads rose 15% over the same period.
The Android slump dragged down the platform’s total mobile installs by 26% year-over-year. This was still an improvement compared to June, when overall installs fell 35% due to an even steeper 49% drop on Android.
Addressing the Android Problem
The X Android app has long been criticized for being buggy and prone to crashes. Nikita Bier, the newly appointed head of product, has acknowledged these shortcomings. He recently promoted an “Android Dream Team” initiative, calling for engineers to rebuild the app.
At the same time, Bier noted that the iOS app had just hit a record week for new installs, an apparent attempt to spotlight positive momentum on Apple devices despite Android struggles.
Where Android users are going remains unclear. Bluesky, once seen as a competitor, has slowed in growth and recorded only 119,000 Google Play downloads in July. Meta’s Threads, however, has been gaining traction, with daily active users inching closer to X’s mobile numbers.
Revenue Challenges
In addition to slowing Android growth, X is struggling with subscription revenue. Appfigures data shows X earned $16.9 million in net revenue in July, down from $18.8 million in March. This was only a slight improvement over June’s $16.8 million.
X still relies heavily on advertising, but the subscription decline is partly tied to Android losses and partly to competition from Grok. The AI platform now has a stand-alone app, attracting subscribers who previously paid for X mainly to access AI features.
What The Author Thinks
Android users make up a massive share of the global market, and losing momentum there could be a long-term problem for X. Even if iOS numbers look strong, the Android decline hints at deeper product weaknesses. If Musk and his team don’t fix the core issues with the Android app soon, X risks turning into a platform with lopsided growth, losing ground in markets where iPhones are not dominant. That could weaken both user engagement and future revenue opportunities.
Featured image credit: Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash
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