Observed Signal · Oct 27, 2023 · Analytics Report · Source: CMSWire · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Twitter Shrinks 13% Under Musk, Rebrand Fails
New data from Apptopia shows X (formerly Twitter) has lost 13% of its daily app users since Elon Musk's takeover in October 2022, declining from 140 million to 121 million. The rebrand from Twitter to X in July caused a 2,000% spike in negative app reviews and accelerated user loss, with more than 5% monthly declines in August and September. Remaining daily users are still engaged, spending about 15 minutes per app daily, and the top 10% of users account for 72% of all time spent. Meta's Threads has failed to capitalize, with only about 10% of X users trying it and daily usage from X users falling below five minutes. The data contradicts X CEO Linda Yaccarino's claim of all-time high usage.
X is a major advertising platform; significant user decline impacts advertiser reach and market dynamics. The rebrand failure offers insights into platform management.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- X lost 13% of its daily active users since October 2022.
- Daily active users declined from 140 million to 121 million.
- Negative app reviews spiked 2,000% after the Twitter-to-X rebrand.
- Top 10% of users account for 72% of all time spent on the app.
- Only about 10% of X users have ever tried Threads.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“X — formerly Twitter — is shrinking meaningfully under Elon Musk, according to new data from mobile research firm Apptopia....”
“Meta’s Threads, meanwhile, isn’t taking advantage, with stagnant engagement and little meaningful migration from Twitter....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Grok Bot Searches X, Integrates Rival AI Models
SpaceXAI has enhanced its AI agent Grok Bot with the ability to continuously search and analyze the entire X platform. Users can now deploy the agent for 24/7 social listening, brand monitoring, and trend analysis, similar to Google's Information Agents. Grok Bot will also integrate other AI models from competitors, such as Claude Opus 5.5, Midjourney, and Suno, depending on the task. This move signals a shift towards multi-model AI agents and expands the capabilities of AI-driven social media analytics.
Instagram Edits App Now Supports Carousel Creation
Instagram's Edits app now allows creators to create Carousel posts directly within the app, according to an announcement by Instagram's Creators account via Instagram and Threads. The feature is available immediately for iOS users, with an Android version expected soon. In a broadcast channel, Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed that users can mix photos and videos on any slide, connect images across slides, and use the same stickers, text effects, and cutouts used in video editing. This functionality aims to streamline content creation and boost engagement, as Carousels remain a popular format on the platform. Additionally, the Edits AI Assistant, which provides video ideas based on account metrics, is currently available only in the US. Meta continues to enhance its creator tools to support social media marketing efforts.
Global ad market grows 11.9% in 2026; print, TV weak
According to Warc Media's forecast, the global advertising market is set to grow by 11.9% in 2026 to $1.34 trillion, following 10% growth in 2024 and 2025. Key growth drivers include investments in AI and major events like the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. Social media will see the strongest growth at 21.3% to $394.6 billion, followed by VOD, retail media, search, and DOOH. Traditional media declines: TV down 1.8%, print down 0.9%, and radio down 3.0%. Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta will capture a combined 59.7% of global ad spend outside China. The growth is expected to normalize to 8.4% in 2027 and 7.9% in 2028. AI is reshaping targeting, creative, and campaign optimization, and creating new ad environments like generative search.
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