Whereas Elon’s X staff retains touting the app’s recognition as “the #1 information app in additional than 140 nations worldwide”, general, X’s downloads usually are not rising in-step, whereas Meta continues to dominate the general app rankings.
In keeping with the most recent knowledge from Sensor Tower, Instagram was essentially the most downloaded app in Q1 2024, adopted by TikTok, Fb, and WhatsApp.
However Meta’s dominance truly extends even additional than that, with Threads coming in at eleventh on the record, and Messenger at twelfth.
X didn’t make the highest listings, however is at present sitting at twenty fifth on the “Prime Free – General” rankings.
Which implies that X remains to be getting consideration, and remains to be a preferred app on a broader scale. However it’s not performing in addition to Elon and Co. are eager to undertaking, particularly once they single it out as the most well-liked information app, and establish that as the rationale as to why mainstream media is so fearful of X.
Which isn’t right.
Right here’s why X is definitely essentially the most downloaded information app.
Again in 2016, the app then referred to as Twitter was in less-than-great form. After a number of quarters of slowing development, whereas Fb and Instagram have been booming, resulting in rising strain from market analysts, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey got here up with a genius plan. If Twitter modified its categorization to the “Information” class within the App Retailer listings, as a substitute of “Social Media”, it might not be straight in comparison with Fb, IG, and others, and Twitter was seeing far more downloads than the present leaders within the “Information” app rankings, apps like CNN, Fox Information, BuzzFeed, and many others.
As a result of nobody must obtain these apps, they have been getting the updates from these apps on social platforms, like Twitter, so Twitter re-categorized as a Information app.
It’s not a information app. Actually, it will possibly’t make the identical change on the Google Play Retailer as a result of it doesn’t qualify as a Information app underneath Google’s parameters.
However on The App Retailer, Twitter instantly shot to primary within the Information class, which was a narrative that it may re-frame for the market, to be able to assist it keep away from damaging comparability with different social apps.
Which didn’t actually work then, and doesn’t work now, as a result of everybody is aware of that Twitter/X shouldn’t be a “Information” app, and shouldn’t be in comparison with these different aggregator instruments.
However Twitter ran with it, and Elon’s working with it now, as a way to primarily reframe the app.
However general, compared to different social media platforms, which X invariably is, it’s not shut, with even Meta’s Twitter clone Threads now besting X in general downloads.
What does that imply for the way forward for Elon’s X undertaking?
Effectively, there’s nonetheless loads of alternative there, with some 250 million individuals nonetheless logging into X every single day to test in on the most recent updates.
If Elon and Co. can get it proper, it nonetheless looks like X can turn out to be a much bigger consideration, nevertheless it hasn’t discovered its pathway ahead as but, and Musk’s varied adjustments usually are not resonating on a broader scale.
It’s engaged on AI, funds, and it’s nonetheless constructing its unique video content material slate. However proper now, Meta’s clearly main the way in which.
Which is why, similar to in 2016, Elon and Co. are reframing X’s battle to be with information apps as a substitute.
