Instagram"s text-based spinoff Threads now has "just under" 100 million monthly active users (MAU), Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed during the company"s Q3 2023 earnings call. Meta introduced Threads earlier this year to compete with the likes of X (formerly Twitter).
During the earnings call, Zuckerberg said:
I want to give a quick update on Threads. We"re three months in now, and I"m very happy with the trajectory. There are just under 100 million monthly actives at this point, and we"re now getting to the point where we’re going to be focusing on growing the community further.
From what we can tell, people love it so far. I"ve thought for a long time that there should be a billion-person public conversations app that"s a bit more positive, and I think that if we keep at this for a few more years then I think we have a good chance of achieving our vision there.
Threads launched in July this year, weeks before Twitter"s unexpected rebranding by its new owner. Its arrival was big enough for Mark Zuckerberg to post on his Twitter account after 11 years of silence.
The microblogging platform had a promising start, which faded away as weeks passed by. Meta made it easier for users to sign up for Threads using their Instagram account and allowed them to pre-follow their Instagram friends.
With 150 million downloads in just a week, it quickly grabbed the crown of having the fastest app launch, beating Niantic"s Pokémon GO. However, users soon started abandoning the ship as they realized they were invited to a half-baked platform that lacked several essential features. Instagram head Adam Mosseri came forward for some damage control and assured users that a number of features were "on the list."
Threads added various missing features in subsequent updates, including the Following tab, full-fledged web version, keyword search, etc. However, there are no plans to introduce direct messaging in the app. Meta also confirmed a future update will allow users to delete their Threads profile without saying goodbye to their Instagram account.
Meta is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to promoting Threads. Both Zuckerberg and Mosseri are frequently active on the platform, interacting with users and sharing updates about new features.
In an attempt to lure users to the platform, Meta has started featuring carousels of Threads posts in Facebook and Instagram feeds. The Instagram app also displays notifications when someone posts on Threads, and tapping the notification quickly takes you to the app.
With that said, Threads still has a long road to cover before it can move shoulder-to-shoulder with its older siblings. Meta revealed during its earnings call that Facebook now has a MAU count of 3.05 billion as of September 30.