Threads App Surpasses 50M Users in 24 Hours Amid Instagram-Twitter Competition.
While Threads has gained immense popularity in various countries, including India, it is still unavailable to users in the EU.
Threads, the recently launched app by Meta, hailed as the “Twitter Killer,” has swiftly amassed a staggering 50 million users within just one day of its release. The app, which revolves around text-based microblogging, is closely integrated with Meta’s widely popular photo and video sharing platform, Instagram. It is noteworthy that Meta is leveraging its colossal user base of over 2.35 billion active Instagram users to drive sign-ups for Threads. As a result, Twitter, the rival platform, has already started feeling the pressure, prompting its newly appointed CEO to make a statement, and there are reports of potential legal action by Twitter against Meta.
According to Alex Heath, a writer for The Verge, Threads app has exceeded 48 million user registrations, based on internal data from Meta. In addition, Joe Scannell, a Threads user with the handle @joe_scannel, shared a screenshot displaying the latest sign-up count, which reveals that the number has now surpassed 50 million. As a strategy to encourage user sign-ups and engagement, Meta displays a unique serial number on each user’s Instagram profile, indicating the time they joined the service.
It is important to mention that Threads app made its debut on both the App Store and Google Play store simultaneously last Thursday. However, it is important to note that the app is not accessible in all countries. Meta has chosen not to release the service to users in the EU, likely due to the stringent privacy regulations that prevail in the region.
Threads has achieved remarkable success by reaching the highest ranks in various app stores across multiple countries. In India, it holds the top spot among free iOS apps, surpassing popular platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram. Additionally, the app has climbed to the fifth position in China’s App Store, despite Meta’s other applications being currently restricted in the country. It is anticipated that Threads may face a similar fate and become inaccessible in China as well.
According to a report from The Verge, by Thursday, the Threads app had amassed more than 95 million posts, which had garnered a total of 190 million likes on the platform. Notably, Elon Musk’s Twitter account seems to be affected by Threads’ popularity. Reports suggest that Twitter has taken a defensive stance and issued a legal threat to Meta, with a letter from Twitter’s lawyer Alex Spirt being sent to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
In response to the rapid surge of the Threads app, Twitter’s newly appointed CEO, Linda Yaccarino, took to Twitter on Thursday to express her thoughts. She emphasized that the Twitter community was formed by its users and emphasized its uniqueness, stating, “We’re frequently imitated, but the Twitter community can never be replicated.”
The user population of Threads is anticipated to expand in the upcoming days. However, the current version of the service lacks certain features that users are accustomed to on other platforms, such as a chronological feed and the option to send private messages (DMs). Moreover, the support documentation from the company highlights that deleting a Threads account necessitates deleting the associated Instagram account, indicating the strong interconnection between the two platforms.
