Threads has set a new user record, largely thanks to Elon Musk. Meta’s strategy appears to be working, as shown by the surge in new user registrations in November. Following the changes made to X by its owner, millions of people chose to switch to other social platforms like Threads and Bluesky.
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According to Axios, Threads gained 35 million new users in November 2024. These numbers surpass initial predictions and indicate that the platform is progressing toward its goal of reaching one billion users, similar to Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in the past. The company has introduced several updates to solidify its position against Bluesky, which is also experiencing rapid growth.
Threads’ milestone comes just days after Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced 15 million signups within the first two weeks of November. The surge in new users is attributed to several factors, primarily driven by changes to X and the results of the U.S. presidential election.
A large number of users oppose Elon Musk’s policies and his alignment with the far right. Additionally, changes such as the modification of the blocking feature and updates to usage policies—allowing posts to be used as training material for Grok—prompted millions to leave the platform.
Threads Competes With Bluesky to Gain More Users
While many users see Bluesky as a genuine alternative, others have placed their trust in Threads. Meta’s social network has introduced significant changes in recent months, moving away from Instagram’s algorithm and adopting features closer to what Twitter originally offered. One notable update is the ability to customize your feed to show updates only from the people you follow.
“We’re rebalancing ranking to prioritize content from people you follow, which will mean less recommended content from accounts you don’t follow and more posts from accounts you do, starting today,” Mosseri shared on her profile. “This is definitely a work in progress—balancing the ability to reach followers and overall engagement is tricky. Thanks for your patience, and keep the feedback coming!”
Before setting the new record, Threads already had 275 million monthly active users. The recent surge in growth is expected to have a major impact on Meta’s overall rankings, but maintaining open communication with the community will be essential for implementing the necessary updates.
Despite the improvements to the feed, Threads still faces the challenge of managing spam, particularly for accounts without an active Instagram profile.