Meta’s Threads just cleared a major milestone in the social media race, pulling ahead of X in daily mobile users. Fresh figures from Similarweb show Threads leading on iOS and Android, even as X retains a commanding edge on the web. The split underscores how mobile-first design, distribution, and brand safety optics are reshaping where people spend their social time—while desktop and mobile web habits remain stubbornly hard to dislodge.
Mobile Momentum Rises While Threads Faces a Persistent Web Gap
Similarweb’s latest analysis puts Threads at 141.5 million daily active users on mobile, surpassing X at 125 million across iOS and Android. That crossover isn’t a blip; Threads’ mobile DAUs have trended upward as X’s have drifted lower, according to the same dataset reported by multiple outlets.
Shift to the web, though, and the picture flips. Threads drew only 8.5 million daily web visits, while X pulled in 145.4 million. The disparity highlights how deeply entrenched X remains in desktop workflows—especially among journalists, finance pros, sports bettors, and policy watchers who keep a browser tab pinned for real-time updates.
Why Threads Is Winning on Phones and What’s Driving It
Distribution is destiny on mobile, and Threads benefits from the largest funnel in social media. Meta has woven subtle pathways from Instagram and Facebook into Threads—think profile prompts, share sheets, and in-feed invitations that convert curiosity into app opens. For millions who already use Instagram daily, Threads is one tap away and requires near-zero setup thanks to account porting.
Product tone matters, too. Threads leans into a lighter, less combative experience, with algorithmic feeds that surface creators and brands without the constant churn of political skirmishes. Marketers and large advertisers have noticed; brand safety researchers and agency buyers say Meta’s moderation playbook, honed on Instagram, makes Threads a lower-risk venue for experiments compared with the volatile content climate on X. That perception alone nudges more creators and advertisers to post where their audiences feel more at ease.
Speed of iteration helps. Threads has steadily added features users expect—search improvements, trending conversations, an API for posting tools, and better discovery—while maintaining Instagram-grade performance on phones. The result is a mobile app that feels familiar and fast, which is exactly where casual social browsing thrives.
What the Numbers Actually Measure Across Apps and Web
There’s a methodology wrinkle worth noting: mobile DAUs (app-based) aren’t the same metric as daily web visits. Still, directionally, the data is telling. If one service is building daily habit on phones while the other relies more on the web, product and audience priorities are diverging. Threads’ climb suggests it’s converting Instagram’s mobile audience into routine check-ins, while X’s desktop strength reflects a persistent hold on real-time news consumption and professional monitoring.
Geography and demographics likely amplify the split. Instagram-heavy markets skew younger and mobile-first, playing to Threads’ strengths. X’s desktop gravity leans into use cases where multitasking across browser tabs is common—markets where newsrooms, finance, and government users prize open-in-a-tab reliability over lean-back scrolling.
Implications For Advertisers And Creators
For brands, mobile DAUs are a proxy for scalable reach—and frictionless commerce. Threads can piggyback on Instagram’s ad stack and Shops infrastructure, promising a smoother path from post to purchase. That, coupled with a calmer content environment, is already prompting test budgets from cautious advertisers who paused or reduced spend on X. Industry groups like the IAB have repeatedly flagged brand suitability as a top concern, and Threads is positioning itself as the safe default.
Creators follow momentum. Social managers are cross-posting text and short video to Threads to capture incremental reach without extra overhead, aided by scheduling tools as API access expands. Meanwhile, X still holds unique value for live events—sports, breaking news, elections—where the desktop experience and entrenched communities deliver real-time feedback loops that Threads hasn’t fully replicated on the web.
What to Watch Next as Threads and X Shape Usage Trends
Two strategic questions loom. First, can Threads close the web gap? A stronger desktop product, tighter integration with search, and federation via ActivityPub could widen its surface area and tap power users who live in browsers. Second, can X reverse mobile attrition? Product pushes around video, creator payouts, and AI features such as Grok aim to deepen engagement, but they must do so without further alienating mainstream advertisers and casual users.
The bottom line: Threads has proven it can win where most social time is spent—on phones. X still dominates the open web. The platform that bridges both worlds fastest will dictate where the next wave of public conversation, ad dollars, and creator energy flows.
