Meta's 'Threads' App Attracted 10 Million Users at Launch, with Hopes of Reaching Over a Billion Users

Meta’s 'Threads' App Draws 10 Million Users At Launch, Hopes For More Than A Billion. The latest creation of the 'Meta Platform' (META), called 'Threads', attracted 10 million users within just seven hours after its late-night launch yesterday. CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions the opportunity to reach over a billion users.

Main Points

• The latest social media app from Meta Platform, called Threads, attracted 10 million users within just seven hours after its late-night launch yesterday.
• Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took a clear dig at Twitter CEO Elon Musk for the first time in over a decade.
• Zuckerberg has marketed Threads as a "Twitter-like alternative."
• He envisions an opportunity for a social network with over a billion users.

The launch, which was originally scheduled for 10 AM this morning, was pushed back until 7 PM ET yesterday, attracting hundreds of thousands of new users within a few hours. Threads is directly integrated with Instagram, allowing users to seamlessly follow the same account on both platforms with just a click of a button.

For the first time in over a decade, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a picture of two Spider-Man characters on his rival platform Twitter, owned by Elon Musk. The image possibly depicts a face-off between Zuckerberg and Musk. He also posted on Threads, congratulating the team for attracting 10 million users within just seven hours of the app's launch.

The opportunity for a billion-user social network?

In response to a question, Zuckerberg stated that Threads has the potential to surpass Twitter. Zuckerberg said, "It will take some time, but I think there should be a public conversation app with over a billion people. Twitter has the opportunity to do that, but they haven't capitalized on it. Hopefully, we will."

According to the 2023 Global Social Media Update published by Insider Intelligence, there is an estimated decline in Twitter's user base in the coming years, partly due to growing user dissatisfaction. A significant double-digit growth is expected on Meta's Instagram this year, while Facebook will see a modest increase of 1.0%.

Global Social Network User Growth

Percent change in actual and projected social media users 2021-2025

Meta officials are marketing Threads as a "friendly" alternative to the often tense and politically charged atmosphere on Twitter. Musk responded to Zuckerberg's tweet, directing his message specifically to Instagram.

Musk tweeted, "Being attacked by strangers on Twitter is much better than pretending to be happy hiding the pain on Instagram."

Meta Platform's shares were strong at the start of business on Thursday. They have more than doubled so far this year.