From LinkedIn, YouTube to TikTok and Threads, Which App Reached 100 Million Users the Fastest?

After Elon Musk took control of Twitter and began its downward trajectory, rumors began to circulate of Meta creating its own Twitter clone. The tech juggernaut is known for being an app killer, often genericizing features such as what it did with Snapchat Stories by incorporating it into each and every service that fell under its umbrella. Threads is the latest addition to Meta’s social media catalogue, and it’s safe to say that its launch has been a resounding success.

Within the span of just 5 days, Threads was able to reach the 100 million user mark. This was helped in no small part by the billions of users Meta as across its other platforms, namely Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Funnelling all of these users into the Twitter clone allowed Meta to break the record easily, thereby making ChatGPT’s once impressive feat seem like a flash in the pan.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that OpenAI’s powerful chatbot was the previous holder of the top spot in terms of how quickly an app can cross the 100 million user threshold. It took ChatGPT 2 months to reach 100 million users, and now that it has been surpassed by Threads, it will be interesting to see if any other app is able to accomplish this feat so quickly.

Meta has a long history of breaking these types of records. Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook have all held this record at some point or another, with Facebook first reaching this total in 2004. It took a whopping 4 years and 6 months to reach 100 million users, with WhatsApp taking 3 years and 6 months in 2009, and Instagram taking 2 years and 6 months in 2010.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, these apps now occupy the 10th, 7th and 5th places respectively. Before ChatGPT’s soaring rise to the top, TikTok had managed the feat in 9 months in 2017, which signalled the end of Meta and Google’s rise to dominance. TikTok now sits in 3rd place behind Threads and ChatGPT.

Google has also seen its fair share of success, with YouTube toppling Meta to reach a hundred million users in 2005 after 4 years and 1 month. This was 5 months faster than Facebook managed it which puts YouTube in 9th place, although Snapchat took the crown in 2011 after its 3 years and 8 months race to the top which gives it the 8th ranking.

One thing that bears mentioning is that all of these apps were second to MySpace, which 3 years to reach a hundred million in 2003. Instagram was the first app to outrank it in 2010.

H/T: VC

Read next: Good News For Brands As Data Proves They’re Getting Great Engagement On The Threads App
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World