Meta's new app Threads became the fastest app ever to garner 100 million users after launching less than one week ago, according to Quiver Quantitative, overtaking ChatGPT as the fastest-growing platform.
The new social media app has quickly gained 100 million users after reaching 30 million new users in its first 24 hours of operation last Wednesday and Thursday. The growth is much faster than that of OpenAI-owned ChatGPT, which took two months to become the fastest-growing consumer application.
Threads is serving as a competitor to Twitter as a place to share "text updates and join public conversations."
"That's mostly organic demand and we haven't even turned on many promotions yet. Can't believe it's only been 5 days!" Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg said Monday.
On Saturday, when Threads reached 70 million users, Zuckerberg said the figure was "way beyond our expectations."
The app allows those with Instagram accounts to follow brands and users they already follow on Instagram automatically.
"Whether you’re a creator or a casual poster, Threads offers a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations. We are working toward making Threads compatible with the open, interoperable social networks that we believe can shape the future of the internet," Meta said in a news release.
Meta launches Threads, a competitor to Twitter, ahead of schedule
Threads is built into Instagram and requires an Instagram account to use. The app is designed for mobile devices.
The platform is among many that are attempting to compete with Twitter for "real-time updates." Applications such as Bluesky, Mastodon, Spill, Post, and even Truth Social, initiated by Donald Trump, have made headlines for various reasons.
Twitter has faced its share of controversy in the last year after Tesla founder Elon Musk purchased the social media network. Among the controversies were removing check marks from non-paying verified users, limiting the number of tweets that can be viewed in a day, changes to how Twitter uses API, labeling NPR as "state funded media" and the limiting of automated tweets.
The latter controversy was spurred by groups like the National Weather Service, who say automated tweets in cases of severe weather allow the agency to disseminate updates on severe weather quickly.
As of Monday, government agencies such as the National Weather Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the White House have not joined Threads. These agencies are very prominent on Twitter and use the platform for public safety warnings and news.
