Meta’s Threads is now seeing more daily usage than Elon Musk’s X on mobile devices, according to new data from market intelligence firm Similarweb, marking a shift in how people are using real-time social platforms on smartphones.
Similarweb estimates that as of January 7, 2026, Threads had 141.5 million daily active users across iOS and Android, compared with 125 million daily active mobile users for X. While X continues to lead on the web, Threads’ mobile app has posted steady gains over several months.
Mobile Usage Trends Diverge From Web
The data highlights a split between mobile and web behavior. On desktop and mobile web, X maintains a clear advantage, with roughly 150 million daily web visits. As of January 13, Similarweb recorded 145.4 million daily web visits for X, compared with 8.5 million daily visits across Threads.com and Threads.net combined.
On mobile, however, Threads’ growth has pushed it ahead of X in daily active users, suggesting that more people are forming a regular habit around Threads on smartphones.
Growth Not Tied To Recent X Controversies
Similarweb’s analysis suggests the shift is driven by longer-term usage trends rather than a sudden reaction to recent controversies on X. Those controversies included reports that users were prompting X’s integrated AI chatbot, Grok, to generate non-consensual nude images of women and, in some cases, minors.
The issue has since prompted California’s attorney general to open an investigation into Grok, following similar probes in the UK, EU, India, Brazil, and other regions. Around the same time, social network Bluesky saw a short-term rise in app installs. The Threads usage increase, however, appears to predate these events.
Meta’s Distribution And Feature Push
Threads’ mobile growth is likely being supported by Meta’s broader ecosystem. The app is regularly promoted to existing users on Facebook and Instagram, giving it access to a large built-in audience. Meta has also focused on courting creators and shipping features at a rapid pace.
Over the past year, Threads has added interest-based communities, improved content filters, direct messaging, long-form text posts, and disappearing content. The company has also been spotted testing games inside the app, expanding beyond its original text-first positioning.
Official User Numbers And Historical Context
Meta said in August 2025 that Threads had surpassed 400 million monthly active users. Two months later, the company reported that the app had reached 150 million daily active users.
Similarweb has been tracking the upward trend for some time. In late June 2025, the firm reported that Threads had grown 127.8% year over year on mobile and was steadily closing the gap with X. While X still leads in the US, Similarweb noted that the difference has narrowed, with X now having roughly half the US daily active users it did a year earlier.
What The Data Suggests
Taken together, the figures point to a gradual shift in how users engage with Threads on mobile devices. While X retains strength on the web and in certain markets, Threads’ rising daily mobile usage suggests it is becoming a more regular part of users’ daily routines, at least on smartphones.
Featured image credits: Syllaby
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