Meta’s Threads is now used more each day on mobile than Elon Musk’s X. The shift marks a notable change in how people engage with major social platforms, especially on smartphones, where most social activity now happens.
According to Similarweb (via TechCrunch), Threads recorded 141.5 million daily active users on iOS and Android as of January 7, 2026. In comparison, X saw about 125 million daily active mobile users during the same period.
This trend has been building for months. It does not appear to be a short-term reaction to recent controversies around X. Instead, it reflects a steady change in user habits, with more people choosing Threads as a regular mobile platform.
Threads Is Growing on Mobile
Meta has pushed Threads heavily across its other services.
Facebook and Instagram frequently promote the app to existing users, making discovery easy. At the same time, Threads has focused on creators and rolled out new features at a fast pace. Over the past year, the app has added interest-based communities, stronger content filters, direct messages, long-form posts, disappearing content, and even early tests of games.
These changes have helped Threads feel more complete as a daily social tool, rather than just a companion app.
Similarweb also reported last summer that Threads was “closing the gap with X on mobile devices” after seeing “127.8% year-over-year growth” by late June 2025.
X Faces Headwinds
Recent events have also affected X’s public image. Concerns grew after users were found using X’s built-in AI tool, Grok, to create non-consensual explicit images, including in some cases involving minors. These incidents triggered investigations by authorities in several regions.
California’s attorney general has now opened an inquiry into Grok, following similar actions in the UK, the EU, India, Brazil, and others.
During the same period, alternative platforms have benefited. Bluesky, a newer social network, saw a rise in app installs as the situation on X intensified.
Web vs Mobile
While Threads leads on mobile, X still dominates on the web.
According to Similarweb, X continues to attract a stable web audience with around 150 million daily visits. As of January 13, it recorded about 145.4 million daily web visits. Threads, by contrast, saw only about 8.5 million daily web visits across its domains.
This shows a clear divide. Threads wins on phones, while X remains stronger on desktop.
Meta has also shared its own growth figures. The company said in August 2025 that Threads had crossed 400 million monthly active users. It was later reported in October that the platform reached 150 million daily active users.
Together with Similarweb’s data, these figures point to one conclusion. More people now treat Threads as a daily habit on mobile, and the gap with X continues to narrow, especially outside the web.
