Are People Still Using Threads?

However, nearly a year after its release, is Threads still living up to the hype? While the app saw an explosion of sign-ups in its first few weeks

When Threads by Meta (formerly Facebook) launched in July 2023, it was billed as a potential “Twitter-killer.” The text-based conversation app was seemingly designed as a direct competitor to Twitter, with a similar following model and real-time feed of short posts and replies. Given Twitter’s struggles with suspended accounts, inconsistent moderation, and lack of new features, many speculated that Threads could swiftly surpass Twitter’s user base.

However, nearly a year after its release, is Threads still living up to the hype? While the app saw an explosion of sign-ups in its first few weeks, with over 100 million users joining in less than a week, the initial excitement seems to have waned among many early adopters. So what is the current state of Threads? Are people still using and engaging with the app, or was it merely a fleeting fad destined to be overshadowed by Twitter and other social platforms?

The User Metrics

To gauge Threads’ ongoing popularity, we can look at some key usage metrics. According to data from analytics firm Sensor Tower, Threads saw around 49 million global installs in its first month. That number dropped to around 10 million in month two and has continued declining in subsequent months, though the app still hovers around 7-8 million installs per month worldwide as of early 2024.

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Engagement rates on the app also seem to have fallen from their peaks. While Threads doesn’t publicly share stats, third-party data indicates that the average user’s time spent in the app and number of posts/engagements per user have dropped significantly since those first few frenzied months. However, Threads still maintains a core base of active, highly engaged creators and community members.

The Power Users

While casual, entertainment-focused users seem to have largely migrated back to other apps like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, Threads has found a foothold with creators, thought leaders, brands, and niche interest communities. Many prominent accounts on Twitter, particularly those focused on news, politics, business, tech, and similar verticals, have established active presences on Threads as well.

The networking effects and affordances of these “power user” accounts seem to be what is sustaining Threads for now. While your average person may not be posting pet pics and memes on Threads regularly, outlets like The New York Times, individual writers with large followings, politicians, corporations, and special interest groups continue to leverage Threads as a publishing and conversation platform. This, in turn, draws in more engagement from their fans and followers.

The Future of Threads

So in the long run, does Threads have enduring viability? Or will it eventually fizzle out entirely as Twitter and other platforms evolve?

Many industry observers argue that Threads’ competitive differentiators – a more controlled, brand-safe environment, better tools for threading and following topic-driven conversations, and leveraging Meta’s scale and resources – give it a legitimate chance at building a sustainable user base over time. However, others contend that Threads’ feature set isn’t unique enough long-term, and that the app will struggle to grow beyond those niches and power users already active on the platform.

Ultimately, Threads’ fate may depend on Meta’s commitment to iterating on the app’s functionality and designing more inventive, unique experiences that vertically-focused, professional users can’t already get on Twitter or other platforms. A lack of major new features or innovations could cause even the “power users” to lose interest over time. Only time will tell if Threads has the staying power to remain relevant in the social media landscape, or if it will slowly fade into the background noise.