Threads just beat X on daily mobile users, new data shows

Meta’s Threads is now drawing more daily usage on mobile than Elon Musk’s X, according to new data from market intelligence firm Similarweb—marking a milestone in the battle for the post-Twitter social feed.

A TechCrunch report published Sunday said Similarweb’s estimates show Threads reached 141.5 million daily active users on iOS and Android as of January 7, 2026, compared with 125 million for X’s mobile apps.

The picture looks different on the web. Similarweb data cited by TechCrunch indicates X continues to command a much larger daily audience via browser traffic, with roughly 145.4 million daily web visits as of January 13, while Threads had 8.5 million daily web visits across its domains.

TechCrunch framed the shift as part of a broader, months-long trend, rather than a sudden spike tied to the latest controversies around X. Threads’ mobile growth, the report noted, has been supported by Meta’s ability to funnel users from its larger platforms—particularly Instagram and Facebook—alongside a rapid expansion of features aimed at making the app more “sticky” for daily use.

That feature sprint has included communities and discovery tools, as well as experiments that push Threads beyond a basic text feed. TechCrunch pointed to upgrades including interest-based communities, improved filters, DMs, long-form posts, disappearing posts, and even reports of game testing within the app.

Meta has also been steadily publishing its own engagement milestones. In August 2025, the company said Threads had crossed 400 million monthly active users, while TechCrunch reported Meta later shared a figure of 150 million daily active users in October.

The usage story is unfolding as X faces heightened scrutiny over how its integrated AI chatbot Grok is being used to create harmful or non-consensual imagery. TechCrunch noted that concerns around sexual deepfakes—including content involving minors—have driven regulatory attention in multiple regions.

In California, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation into xAI’s Grok over the spread of nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfake material, including content targeting women and children, according to an official press release from the California Department of Justice.

In the UK, regulator Ofcom also said it opened a formal investigation into X under the country’s Online Safety Act, focusing on whether the platform met its legal duties relating to illegal harmful content.

Against that backdrop, the growth of Threads appears to be less about a single migration moment—and more about how users are settling into new habits across platforms. TechCrunch said Similarweb’s numbers show Threads’ gains have been building gradually over months, as X retains strength on the web while Threads becomes a more frequent stop on mobile devices.