Meta’s Threads has overtaken X in daily active users on Android and iOS, reaching 141.5 million users. While X still dominates web traffic, Threads’ rapid mobile growth highlights a major shift in the social media competition.
Meta’s Threads Surpasses X on Mobile
New Delhi: Meta has delivered a significant setback to Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter). According to a new report by Similarweb, Meta’s Threads app has overtaken X in terms of daily active users (DAUs) on mobile platforms, including Android and iOS. While X still maintains a strong presence on the web, Threads has clearly taken the lead on smartphones, marking a major shift in the social media landscape.
As of January 7, 2026, Threads recorded approximately 141.5 million daily active users on mobile devices, compared to 125 million daily active users for X on Android and iOS combined. This milestone reflects Threads’ steady and consistent growth over the past several months.
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Threads was designed as a direct competitor to Twitter/X, with many of its core features inspired by the microblogging format that made Twitter popular. Over time, Meta has refined the platform, making it more appealing to users who prefer quick conversations, trending topics, and creator-driven content.
One of the biggest reasons behind Threads’ success is Meta’s aggressive cross-promotion strategy. By promoting Threads heavily on Facebook and Instagram, Meta has been able to convert its massive existing user base into active Threads users.
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Additionally, Threads has focused strongly on content creators, rolling out new tools, engagement features, and updates that encourage frequent posting and interaction. These improvements have translated into higher daily activity, helping Threads steadily close the gap with X—and now surpass it on mobile.
The competition between Threads and X has been tightening for months. In August last year, Meta revealed that Threads had crossed 400 million monthly active users. Just two months later, its daily active users crossed the 150 million mark, highlighting the platform’s rapid adoption.
In the United States, X once had nearly double the number of daily users compared to Threads. However, that gap has now narrowed significantly, indicating a shift in user preference—especially among mobile-first audiences.
Despite losing ground on mobile, X continues to dominate web traffic. According to Similarweb, X receives around 150 million daily web visits, while Threads.com and Threads.net together attract only about 8.5 million daily visits. This shows that desktop and browser-based users still strongly prefer X.
For now, Threads remains primarily a mobile-centric success story, while X holds its ground as the leader on the web.
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The data highlights a clear divide: Threads is winning on mobile, while X remains powerful on the web. As user behavior increasingly shifts toward mobile platforms, Threads’ growth could pose a long-term challenge to X—unless X manages to regain momentum on smartphones.
