Threads Surpasses X in Daily Mobile Usage, New Report Shows
A recent analysis from market intelligence firm Similarweb reveals a significant shift in the social media landscape. Meta’s Threads has overtaken Elon Musk’s X in terms of daily active users on mobile devices. As of January 7, 2026, Threads recorded approximately 141.5 million daily users across iOS and Android platforms. In contrast, X attracted around 125 million daily mobile users during the same period.
This milestone marks a notable change in user behavior, though X continues to maintain a strong lead on desktop and web browsers.
Key Data Points
The Similarweb report provides clear evidence of the shifting dynamics between the two platforms. The data, collected up to January 7, 2026, shows Threads pulling ahead on mobile by a margin of roughly 16.5 million daily users. While X still commands a larger overall presence on the web, Threads has carved out a significant advantage in the mobile app space.
Why Threads Is Growing
According to the report, Threads’ rise is not simply a reaction to controversies on X. Instead, it reflects long-term trends and deliberate strategies by Meta. The company has aggressively promoted Threads across its other popular apps, including Facebook and Instagram, leveraging their massive user bases. Over the past year, Threads has also introduced a range of new features, including interest-based communities, improved content filters, direct messaging, support for longer text posts, and even early testing of in-app games. Meta has also made concerted efforts to attract content creators to the platform.
Challenges and Controversies for X
While Threads gains ground, X has faced a series of recent controversies. Reports have emerged of users exploiting X’s integrated AI assistant, Grok, to generate inappropriate images, including those involving minors. Concerns over deepfake content have prompted the California Attorney General to launch an investigation into Grok. Similar inquiries are underway in regions such as India, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Brazil. The ongoing turmoil on X has also contributed to a surge in downloads for rival app Bluesky.
X Still Dominates on the Web
Despite losing its mobile lead, X remains far ahead of Threads on web browsers. The platform sees approximately 145 million daily visits through desktop and mobile web. In comparison, threads.com and threads.net combined attract only about 8.5 million daily web visits. This gap underscores that while Threads has captured mobile users, X continues to hold a strong position in the desktop browsing experience.
