There are 131 million Threads users as of mid-Sep 2023. Threads analytic counter has shown an incredible 108 million growth in less than a week since it was launched on the 6th Jul 2023.
Despite a phenomenal start, the platform has seen a drop from 41,79 million to only 13 million daily active users. Will the daily users continue to drop or will the platform’s popularity even out and become a strong competitor for the likes of Twitter?
Key Stats
Let’s take a look at the most interesting and significant Threads user statistics:
1. It took 2 hours for Threads to reach 2 million users.
2. Threads is estimated to contribute at least $8 billion to Meta’s profit margins by 2025.
3. India has topped the list for the country with the most downloads with a whopping 33% since its launch.
4. There were 95 million posts on Threads in the first twenty-four hours and also boasted 190 million likes.
5. User activity has dropped by 73% since its first day.
6. It’s estimated that Android users have downloaded the Threads app more than 50 million times.
7. Threads has become the #1 app on Apple’s App Store in China on 7th Jul 2023.
8. The onboarding process for Threads takes less than 10 seconds, making it very popular.
9. Unlike Twitter, Threads has a 500-character limit unlike that of Twitter’s 240.
10. The previous record for a platform to reach 1 million active users was set by ChatGPT and it took 5 days in January 2023.
11. Thread is available in 100 countries and can be downloaded in 30 different languages.
12. The minimum age required to download the Threads app varies between 12 and 16, depending on which country you’re in. It may require acceptance of Parental Guidance in the Google Play Store.
How Long It Took to Reach 100 Million Users?
On the off chance that you don’t know this, Threads is an American social media platform primarily used for social networking. Owned and operated by the Meta Platforms, this newest social trend took a mere 102 hours to reach 100 million users.
Officially launched on the 6th of July 2023, it has taken less than one month to reach the 117 million user mark! This record-breaking statistic may leave you curious about how long it took some of the other popular online service brands or platforms to reach the 1 million user mark.
Here’s a simple breakdown for an easy comparison.
| Platform or Service | Year Launched | Period to Reach 1 Million Users | Period to Reach 10 Million Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threads | 2023 | 1 hour | 7 hours |
| ChatGPT | 2022 | 5 days | 40 days |
| Clubhouse | 2020 | 1 week | 347 days |
| 2010 | 2.5 months | 355 days | |
| Spotify | 2008 | 5 months | 23 months |
| Dropbox | 2008 | 7 months | 19 months |
| 2004 | 10 months | 852 days | |
| Foursquare | 2009 | 13 months | 2 years |
| 2006 | 2 years | 780 days | |
| Airbnb | 2008 | 2.5 years | 4 year |
| Netflix | 1999 | 3.5 years | 9 years |
The Number of Thread Users in the Top 10 Countries
Further research into the Thread download frenzy has shown that this trendy new platform isn’t just big in America. In fact, the U.S. only ranks 3rd on the list of most downloads!
That said, let’s review the top 10 countries with the most active Threads users on both Android and IOS.
| Ranking | Country | App Downloads | Total % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 54.2 million | 33.5% |
| 2 | Brazil | 36.4 million | 22.5 % |
| 3 | U.S. | 26.1 million | 16.1% |
| 4 | Mexico | 12.3 million | 7.6% |
| 5 | Japan | 7.3 million | 4.5% |
| 6 | UK | 6.5 million | 4.0% |
| 7 | Taiwan | 2.9 million | 1.8% |
| 8 | Canada | 2.9 million | 1.6% |
| 9 | Australia | 1.4 million | 0.8% |
| 10 | Vietnam | 0.9 million | 0.6% |
Interestingly enough, you may notice that there aren’t many European countries on the top list. The unofficial reason for this has hinted at the direction of Europe’s many elaborate tech regulations.
A little more delving shows that the EU’s Digital Markets Act may also have some blame. The regulation passed in 2022 prevents companies from exceeding a user base and market cap threshold. Doing this prevents an abuse of market power.
Threads User Activity
Curious about the user activity on the Threads platform? Here’s a basic break-down.
- On average, Thread users spend about 6 minutes daily on the app, which has dropped significantly since the 21 minutes spent on the app on the first day. On the other hand, it’s estimated that Twitter’s 200 million followers spend about 31 minutes on their app.
- Threads’ launch date saw a massive 41,79 million active users accessing the app on that one day alone.
Despite starting on a high, the last week of July has seen a sharp decline in Threads’ user activity. From 41,79 million to only 13 million daily active users, showing a steep drop of about 73%. This sharp decline may be because of the limited features, but, if these aspects are improved, the platform can see another increase in users which should then stabilize rather than decline.
Top Threads Followers
As was to be expected with a new social platform, some accounts were an instant hit. With celebrities migrating to Threads, it’s no surprise that their fans followed them. Let’s take a look at the most followed thread accounts.
| Position | Celebrity Account | Total Followers |
| 1 | Kim Kardashian | 5.2 million |
| 2 | Kylie Jenner | 4.9 million |
| 3 | Mr. Beast | 4.7 million |
| 4 | Shakira | 4.0 million |
| 5 | Will Smith | 3.8 million |
| 6 | Jennifer Lopez | 3.8 million |
| 7 | Chris Hemsworth | 3.7 million |
| 8 | Khloe Kardashian | 3.3 million |
| 9 | Mark Zuckerberg | 3.1 million |
| 10 | Ellen DeGeneres | 2.3 million |
Overview
- Although currently in the 3rd spot, Mr. Beast was actually the first account to reach 1 million followers. In fact, he reached this spot faster than Mark Zuckerberg.
- Not surprisingly, Kim Kardashian holds the number one spot with a whopping 5,2 million followers. Her sisters Kylie and Khloe have also made the top 10.
Threads vs Twitter
It’s no secret that an extensive amount of rivalry exists between Zuckerburg and Musk, and this competitiveness extends to their platforms. Additionally, potential users may be wondering how these platforms stack up. Is one better than the other? Here’s a look at the basics comparisons.
| Features | Threads | |
| Accessibility | Mobile-first platform that must be accessed via an Instagram account | Standalone platform that users access by creating an account via the app |
| User interface | Text box to share thoughts, reshare options | Text box to share thoughts, reshare options, hashtag to increase feed exposure |
| Content limits | Can share images, video, links, text limit of 500 characters – GIFs can only be shared if they’re already in the phone gallery | Can share images, videos, links and GIFs, with a character limit of 240. Blue subscribers can Tweet up to 25,000 characters |
| Direct messaging | No direct messaging option | Tweeting, tagging, private DM |
| Search feature | Search limited to accounts only | Can search accounts, keywords, people, hashtags and usernames |
| Feed features | Basic feed | Customizable options |
| Advertisements | Ads free | Ads heavy |
Conclusion
It’s true that Threads’ astronomical growth is largely based on an existing user base on existing platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. However, we think it’s fair to admit that few people expected the platform to break the 100 million user record as quickly as it did! With the significant drop of 73% already experienced in the first few weeks, critics can only speculate about what will happen next.
With that said, everyone is waiting with bated breath to see whether or not the platform will grow, improve and continue to set records. Or will it become a passing fad?
Keep up to date with the latest trends and remember to share with your network too!