NEW YORK, USA – Instagram’s recently launched Threads app has attracted more than 100 million users in under five days, according to data tracking websites, shattering the record previously held by AI tool ChatGPT for the fastest-growing consumer app.
In comparison, ChatGPT took two months to achieve the 100 million user milestone, TikTok took nine months, and Instagram itself took two and a half years following its 2010 debut.
Threads, available on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries since late last Wednesday, is not yet available in Europe, as parent company Meta navigates the European Union’s data privacy legislation.
Twitter, considered to have around 200 million regular users, has experienced recurring technical glitches since Elon Musk acquired the platform last year and laid off thousands of employees.
Musk’s decision to introduce charges for previously free services and reinstating banned right-wing accounts has also caused disillusionment among users.
Several competitors have sprung up, but most are niche platforms lacking the necessary capacity to scale and potentially dethrone Twitter.
Threads’ successful growth can be attributed to its connection to Instagram, which boasts more than one billion regular users.
The app crossed the 100 million users mark at 0700 GMT on Monday, July 10, 2023, according to online data service Quiver Quantitative.
Other websites that monitor the “badges” received by Instagram users who have downloaded Threads estimated the milestone was reached even earlier.
Meta, which also owns Facebook and WhatsApp, faces threats of a lawsuit from Musk, who accuses the company of stealing trade secrets and intellectual property – charges Meta vehemently denies.
Musk’s rivalry with Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg has escalated, with the two recently challenging each other to a cage fight.
