The platform now boasts 400 million monthly active users, positioning it as a strong competitor to X (formerly Twitter), which reportedly has 600 million monthly and 250 million daily users. However, recent data from Similarweb suggests that X’s daily engagement may be declining, indicating that Threads’ rapid growth reflects a broader demand for a Twitter alternative, driven in part by Elon Musk’s ongoing changes to X.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that Threads is “on track to become the leader in its category,” referring to the short-form, text-based social media space that includes Threads, X, Bluesky, and Mastodon.
Zuckerberg also noted:
“Across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, our AI recommendation systems are delivering higher quality and more relevant content, which led to 5% more time spent on Facebook in Q3 and 10% on Threads.”
While Facebook’s 5% engagement rise is modest, a 10% boost on Threads is a significant improvement — especially since the app initially struggled to surface relevant and engaging content.
Threads’ recommendation system, once heavily based on users’ Instagram activity, is now being refined to better reflect interests unique to Threads. According to Threads Chief Connor Hayes, the app’s algorithm is evolving to highlight posts that spark more conversation, with new features like topic tags, communities, and an upcoming algorithm control option to personalize user feeds.
Instagram Head Adam Mosseri added that they’re exploring additional tools to help users fine-tune their Threads experience — though sustained engagement will depend on how effectively the app can automate relevant content discovery.
Meta’s CFO Susan Li confirmed that Threads ads are now available globally, and Meta has begun rolling out new ad formats, including video ads, to further support monetization as Threads continues its upward trajectory — potentially positioning it to rival or even surpass X in the near future.