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User engagement on Threads, Meta’s new Twitter competitor, has experienced a decline after a promising start. In a span of just five days, the text-based social media platform boasted a remarkable achievement with 100 million sign-ups. However, data provided by Sensor Tower and Similarweb reveal that the platform has observed a dropoff in both its growth and user engagement. It seems that what initially soared to great heights is now facing some challenges in maintaining its momentum.
“The launch of Threads truly made a significant impact, both on the internet and our Sensor Tower models,” stated Anthony Bartolacci, the managing director at Sensor Tower, a marketing intelligence firm, during an interview with CNBC. He further added, “In the more than 10 years that Sensor Tower has been estimating app installs, the initial 72 hours of Threads were genuinely unparalleled, setting it apart in its own league.” Bartolacci’s comments highlight the extraordinary nature of Threads’ launch and the unprecedented success it achieved in a remarkably short period.
However, according to Sensor Tower data, there has been a notable decline in user engagement following the launch of Threads. Anthony Bartolacci revealed that on Tuesday and Wednesday, the platform experienced a decrease of approximately 20% in daily active users compared to Saturday. Additionally, the average time spent by users on the platform dropped by 50%, decreasing from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. These statistics indicate a significant pullback in user engagement, reflecting a shift in user behavior since the initial surge of interest.
Anthony Bartolacci commented, “These initial results indicate that, despite the excitement surrounding its launch, Threads will face challenges in establishing itself as a regular part of most users’ social network experience. While the support of Meta and its integration with Instagram may provide Threads with a significant advantage over other platforms, it will require a more compelling value proposition beyond being ‘Twitter, but without Elon Musk’ to truly succeed.” Bartolacci’s statement highlights the need for Threads to offer unique and compelling features that differentiate it from existing social media platforms, as mere imitation is unlikely to sustain long-term user interest.
Similarweb, a digital data and analytics company, also provided data that aligned with the observed trends. According to their findings, Threads experienced a decline of over 25% in daily active users among Android phone users worldwide, from its peak on July 7 to Monday. It’s worth noting that Similarweb is still in the process of fine-tuning its model with iOS data and has not yet completed its analysis.
Furthermore, Similarweb’s data indicated a significant decrease in usage time, with the average duration that U.S. users spent on the app dropping from approximately 20 minutes on July 6 to just over 8 minutes on July 10. These findings highlight a substantial reduction in user engagement within a relatively short timeframe, indicating a notable shift in user behavior and interest levels.
