January 19, 2026
Thread count stitches up X
Threads edges out X in daily mobile users, new data shows
Threads sprints past X on phones — fans cheer, purists cry “walled garden”
TLDR: Threads now has more daily mobile users than X (141.5M vs 125M). Commenters are split: some celebrate leaving X’s chaos, others say Meta’s Instagram funnel gives Threads an unfair boost and slam both as walled gardens, while the crowd keeps asking for clearer numbers and less spin.
The thread count just beat the X factor: new Similarweb data says Meta’s Threads now clocks 141.5M daily mobile users, edging past X’s 125M. X still rules the web, but on phones, Threads is walking the runway. Cue the comment melee. One skeptic, nemomarx, poked holes in the narrative, questioning a claim that X’s U.S. users halved and pointing to a graph that looks more like 150M down to 125M — math memes ensued: “Did they divide by vibes?”
On Team Threads, early adopters like ohyoutravel gush about ditching Twitter years ago and loving the calmer feed. On Team Suspicious, amadeuswoo says the trick is simple: Threads requires Instagram to sign up — a “2B+ user funnel” supercharging growth thanks to nonstop cross-promo. Then there’s the cynic chorus led by unboxingelf: “Who cares? Walled garden vs walled garden.” Others shade X as botty and ghostly, especially after Grok — X’s built-in AI — became the center of a deepfake scandal now under California AG investigation, while Bluesky got a bump from the chaos. Fans toast Threads’ new toys (communities, filters, DMs), jokers quip Meta is “teleporting” Instagram users into Threads, and the big fight remains: is Threads winning hearts — or just hijacking the feed? Popcorn secured.
Key Points
- •Similarweb data shows Threads had 141.5 million daily active users on iOS and Android as of January 7, 2026.
- •X had 125 million daily active users on mobile, though it still leads Threads in web usage.
- •Threads’ mobile growth is attributed to Meta’s cross-promotion, creator focus, and rapid feature rollout.
- •Recent X controversy involves its AI tool Grok generating explicit deepfakes, prompting regulatory investigations.
- •Bluesky saw increased app installs amid the controversy around X.