Instagram Threads now has extra 130 million month-to-month lively customers, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in the course of the firm’s fourth-quarter earnings at this time. The text-based social networking app is likely one of the many new initiatives which have sprung up within the wake of Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition of Twitter, now known as X, the place it competes with numerous startups and open supply initiatives, together with Bluesky, Mastodon, Nostr, Post, Spill, and others.
Zuckerberg mentioned that Threads is “growing steadily,” although characterised the app as having blown up earlier than Meta was prepared.
“I’ll note that Threads now has more people actively using it today than it did during its initial launch peak,” mentioned Zuckerberg. “So that one’s I think on track to be a major success.”
Final quarter, Zuckerberg additionally spoke extremely of Threads, saying he believed the app had a good chance of reaching 1 billion users inside just a few years. On the time, Threads had north of 100 million month-to-month lively customers.
Meta mentioned its household of apps, which additionally consists of Fb, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, had been utilized by 3.19 billion people every day within the fourth quarter, up from the 3.14 billion it noticed within the quarter ending September 2023. Month-to-month lively customers had been at 3.98 billion, up from 3.96 billion within the prior quarter.
We’ve seen proof that Threads has been gaining traction in latest weeks. App intelligence supplier Appfigures discovered that the Instagram-owned app had tripled its downloads in December to change into the No. 6 most downloaded app within the month throughout the Apple App Retailer and Google Play. X, nonetheless struggling with its rebranding, was No. 36.
Picture Credit: Appfigures
By leveraging Instagram’s buddy graph, Threads had a record-breaking launch, reaching 100 million registered users inside its first 5 days final July. However curiosity in Threads started to taper off within the fall, solely returning to growth as Meta gave it a push by selling Threads’ viral posts to Fb customers. That possible helped the app safe its spot within the prime 10 most downloaded apps globally in December.
Zuckerberg’s feedback had been possible meant to move off the considerations that had been raised throughout Threads’ downturn, which had some critics prematurely declaring it lifeless.
As for Meta’s earnings, the corporate noticed $40.1 billion in income within the quarter ending in December 2023, forward of analysts’ estimates of $39.18 billion and earnings of $5.33 per share, forward of estimates of $4.96. Internet earnings was $14.02 billion. Income for the full-year 2023 was $134.90 billion.
Meta additionally introduced its first cash dividend of $0.50 per share which might be paid in March to Meta’s shareholders.
