Meta’s social media platform, Threads, has surpassed Elon Musk-owned X in daily mobile users, according to new data from market intelligence firm Similarweb.

While X continues to maintain a stronger presence on the web, Threads has recorded steady growth on its iOS and Android apps over recent months, signaling a shift in how users engage with social platforms on mobile devices.

As of January 7, 2026, Similarweb data shows that Threads recorded 141.5 million daily active users on mobile, compared with X’s 125 million. Analysts note that this development reflects longer-term usage trends rather than a short-term reaction to controversies surrounding X.

In recent weeks, X has faced scrutiny over the misuse of its integrated AI tool, Grok, to generate non-consensual and illegal deepfake images, prompting investigations by authorities in California and several other regions globally.

Despite the turbulence around X, Similarweb suggests Threads’ growth is largely driven by Meta’s ecosystem advantage. The platform has benefited from heavy cross-promotion on Facebook and Instagram, as well as a strong focus on creators and frequent feature updates.

Over the past year, Threads has introduced interest-based communities, direct messaging, long-form posts, disappearing content, and improved content filters, with reports also pointing to experiments with in-app games.

Meta’s own figures support the upward trend. The company announced in August 2025 that Threads had surpassed 400 million monthly active users, later reporting in October that daily active users had reached 150 million.

Similarweb previously highlighted that Threads experienced over 127 percent year-on-year growth by mid-2025, steadily narrowing the gap with X, particularly in the United States.

However, the competition remains split across platforms. X continues to dominate web usage, recording about 145 million daily web visits as of mid-January, compared with Threads’ 8.5 million visits across its web domains.

While X still leads overall web engagement, the latest data suggests Threads is increasingly becoming a daily habit for mobile users, underscoring a broader shift toward app-based social media consumption.

Source: Techcrunch