Threads Surges to 130 Million Users, Zuckerberg Declares it a "Major Success"

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, announced today that Instagram Threads, the text-based social networking app, has surpassed 130 million monthly active users. 

During Meta’s fourth-quarter earnings report, Zuckerberg celebrated the app's impressive growth, attributing it to steady progress despite an initial explosive launch.

Zuckerberg noted that Threads has surpassed its peak user count at launch, emphasizing its current status as a "major success." 

The app's journey has been closely watched since its inception, especially as it competes with various platforms in the evolving social media landscape.

Initially launched last July leveraging Instagram's friend graph, Threads reached a remarkable milestone, registering 100 million users within its first five days. 

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However, interest in the app waned in the fall, prompting Meta to intervene and revive its growth. 

Meta strategically promoted Threads' viral content on Facebook, contributing to its resurgence and securing a spot among the top 10 most downloaded apps globally in December.

In a move to dispel concerns raised during Threads' downturn, Zuckerberg expressed confidence in the app's trajectory. 

He highlighted its current user base, surpassing previous records, and emphasized the potential for further growth. 

Last quarter, Zuckerberg predicted that Threads had a promising chance of reaching 1 billion users within a few years.

App intelligence provider Appfigures reported a significant uptick in Threads' downloads in December, making it the sixth most downloaded app across the Apple App Store and Google Play. 

The resurgence is evident, with an estimated 160 million total users according to third-party trackers.

Despite Meta's broader family of apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, boasting 3.19 billion daily users in the fourth quarter, Threads has managed to carve its niche in the competitive social media space.

Meta's overall financial performance in the fourth quarter exceeded expectations, with $40.1 billion in revenue and earnings of $5.33 per share, beating analysts' estimates.

The net income for the quarter was $14.02 billion, contributing to a robust full-year revenue of $134.90 billion.

In a further move to reward shareholders, Meta announced its first-ever cash dividend of $0.50 per share, scheduled to be paid in March. 

The company's ability to diversify its offerings and sustain growth across its various platforms positions it as a formidable force in the ever-evolving tech landscape.

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