Threads hits 200 million active users and now targets 1 billion

So, do you use Threads , an app launched by Meta last year as a complement to Instagram and created to be an alternative to X (formerly Twitter )? If so, you are part of the recently reached 200 million active users that the app has, as announced by Mark Zuckerberg’s company this Friday (02).

The information was confirmed by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri himself, stressing that Threads reached the milestone in record time. The application was launched in July 2023 – that is, it took less than 13 months to reach this user base.

“I’m excited to share that we’ve crossed the 200 million milestone on @threads,” wrote Adam Mosseri. “My hope is that Threads can inspire ideas that bring people together and that this incredible community continues to grow.”

Just last year, Zuckerberg suggested that Threads has a “good chance” of becoming a platform with more than a billion users. On the latest earnings call, the Meta CEO also described the platform as being on a good growth trajectory.

“We’re making steady progress toward building what looks like another great social app. And we’re seeing deeper engagement,” he said, adding, “I’m really pleased with the trajectory here,” the Facebook/Meta founder said .

According to Meta , Threads has seen steady growth throughout the year. In April, the company announced the milestone of 150 million users, while the 175 million mark came during the social network’s 1st anniversary celebration last month. Since then, through an aggressive integration campaign with Instagram, Threads has seen another spike in adoption, quickly reaching the new milestone.

Threads ‘ rapid growth has cast a shadow over X , which Elon Musk says has about 600 million active users. While it still has the upper hand, analysts say X has “stagnated,” with its user base growing by just 1.6 percent since last year.

In fact, one of the main drivers of Threads ‘ growth has been the dissatisfaction of many users with the new direction X took after Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022. Twitter’s demise due to Musk’s erratic change of direction alienated dozens of longtime users — and was the original impetus for Meta to launch Threads .

“We’re making steady progress toward building what looks like another great social app. And we’re seeing deeper engagement,” he said, adding, “I’m really pleased with the trajectory here,” the Facebook/Meta founder said .