Meta’s Threads app, despite a record-breaking launch week, is currently experiencing a slowdown in engagement. According to data from analytics company SimilarWeb, despite its historic rapid growth, the app’s engagement has seen a downward trend from its initial high.
Daily active users of Threads dropped from 49 million on July 7th to 23.6 million by July 14th, reports SimilarWeb. Furthermore, user engagement in the United States, which saw the highest usage, dropped from an average of 21 minutes per day to just over six minutes in the same duration.
It’s important to note that SimilarWeb’s data is limited to Android users of the Threads app, yet the trend aligns with reports from other firms. Sensor Tower, a market intelligence firm, also reported a similar dip in engagement and daily active users (DAUs), pointing out a double-digit decline since the app’s launch.
The decline is somewhat anticipated. Threads was launched at a time when a significant number of Twitter users were looking for alternatives, and the app’s connection to Instagram made it very convenient for users to switch and transfer their existing social networks. However, the app still lacks several fundamental features, including a non-algorithmic feed that is less prone to dominance by brands and influencers.
On Friday, in a post on Threads, Instagram’s top executive, Adam Mosseri, stated that the company is not currently focused on engagement metrics. He said, “Our focus right now is not engagement, which has been amazing, but getting past the initial peak and trough we see with every new product, and building new features, dialing in performance, and improving ranking.”
Meta’s ability to leverage these conditions will likely depend on how swiftly it can introduce new features to retain its users, and whether it can successfully launch in the European Union. The company is also grappling with spam issues, Mosseri added, saying that Threads would implement rate limits and other protective measures. “Spam attacks have picked up so we’re going to have to get tighter on things like rate limits, which is going to mean more unintentionally limiting active people (false positives),” he wrote.
While Threads’ dwindling engagement might seem like a respite for Twitter, the platform still has substantial concerns about its latest competitor. According to David Carr, Senior Insights Manager at SimilarWeb, there are “some signs” that part of Threads’ engagement may have been at Twitter’s expense. “In the first two full days that Threads was generally available, Thursday and Friday, web traffic to twitter.com was down 5% compared with the same days of the previous week and Android app usage, by time spent, was down 4.3%,” says Carr. He also highlighted that “Twitter user retention has been on the decline” since last year.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Threads App Engagement Decline
What is the current status of Meta’s Threads app according to the data from SimilarWeb?
The Threads app from Meta, after a spectacular first week of growth, has experienced a decline in user engagement. Daily active users decreased from 49 million on July 7th to 23.6 million by July 14th.
Has Threads’ decline in user engagement impacted other social platforms like Twitter?
While the reduction in Threads’ user engagement might seem beneficial for Twitter, there are indications that some of Threads’ engagement may have occurred at Twitter’s expense. According to SimilarWeb, in the first two days that Threads was widely available, web traffic to Twitter was down by 5%, and Android app usage was down by 4.3%.
What has been the company’s response to the decline in user engagement?
Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s top executive, in a post on Threads, indicated that the company is currently not emphasizing engagement metrics. The company’s focus is to move beyond the initial peak and trough typical with every new product and work on building new features, improving performance, and enhancing ranking.
What steps is Threads taking to deal with the issue of spam?
According to Adam Mosseri, Threads is planning to implement rate limits and other protective measures to combat the increase in spam attacks. However, this might unintentionally limit active users due to false positives.
What factors might influence Threads’ ability to regain user engagement?
Meta’s success in improving user engagement in the Threads app will likely depend on the pace at which it can introduce new features to retain users and whether it can successfully launch in the European Union.
More about Threads App Engagement Decline
- SimilarWeb’s Analytics Report
- Sensor Tower’s Market Analysis
- Adam Mosseri’s Threads Post
- Meta’s Threads App
- Twitter’s User Engagement
7 comments
lol! no surprise there. Tried the app once, it was good for the gram but thats about it. They need to step up their game if they want to compete with twitter.
Wait, what, Threads has seen a decline already?? thought they were doing good… Well, i guess people stick to what they know best.
man, that’s a significant drop. Interesting to see how Meta responds. Will they actually focus on user engagement or continue to neglect it? Only time will tell.
Is it just me or does everyone else also think Twitter is still the king here? All these new apps come and go but Twitter’s been around. Not that worried tbh.
No doubt, Threads has potential. Just needs a few more features, less spam. And voila! Might just take over twitter one day.
Good to see analytics. But remember, its just android data. Wonder what the iOS side of things look like.
Feels like deja vu! Didn’t we see the same thing with Clubhouse? Big splash at launch, then a slow fizzle… They need to figure out how to maintain momentum.