X Reports Record High Download Numbers Last Week

X reports record-high download numbers last week, highlighting the platform’s growing popularity and user adoption.

X (formerly Twitter) is claiming a sudden increase in app downloads, with last week reportedly marking the highest number of first-time installs in its history, even surpassing figures from its pre-rebrand days.

Recent Spike in App Store Rankings and Downloads

After Elon Musk bought Twitter and renamed it X, user engagement on the platform has plummeted, official data, particularly from Europe, shows that it is the only region where X still publicly shares statistics and shows a 15% drop in active users since the takeover.

Under the new Head of Product, Nikita Bier, X is seeing a surge in downloads. That increase is reinforced by third-party data, also.

Similarweb  charts for X downloads show a significant jump in Google Play Store rankings.

Sensor Tower also reports a similar surge in App Store rankings. The surge came after Elon Musk threatened to sue Apple for intentionally lowering the app ranking of X.

Bier also noted increasing traction in Europe. Musk said his company’s network now has as many as 600 million monthly active users at X, up from around 500 million in 2023.

Mix Analysis and Usage Trends

But Similarweb analytical data suggests that the explosion in downloads might be a response to increased mentions of the murder of right-wing media pundit Charlie Kirk, rather than an indication of any general upward trend.

Daily active users in the U.S. grew 5.6% and 2.2% worldwide during event week, while app rankings saw single-digit lifts at best more broadly.

If X is capturing short-term attention related to something happening in the news, there’s no sign here of whether or not that momentum is reflected in sustained growth in daily usage. In general, directions suggest an ongoing, slow decrease in engagement.

Looking Ahead

It is still too early to say whether recent management changes, including Bier taking the helm, are turning X around. Usage statistics from official sources will clear things up more.

X must report EU usage numbers under Digital Services Act (DSA) obligations in a month’s time; these may help to shed more light on where it stands in terms of retention and platform popularity.

Bottom Line

There has been some promising activity in its downloads recently, but it may still be more event-led than actual progress. The platform’s absolute path will become more evident as new usage figures and regulatory filings come out.