Quick Take
- Meta says Threads now has 500 million monthly active users, three years after its July 2023 launch.
- The milestone is exactly half of Mark Zuckerberg’s stated goal of a billion-user public conversations app.
- Threads now trails X by only about 50 million users, with daily activity rising year on year.
In This Article
Threads Tops 500 Million Users, Meta announced on June 16, 2026, reaching the figure almost three years after the app launched in July 2023 (Meta Newsroom).
The number marks the halfway point of Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg’s plan to build a public conversations app with one billion people. Threads head Connor Hayes said daily active users also rose from a year earlier, though he declined to share exact figures, according to Bloomberg. The update came alongside new community tools and a feed-control feature called Your Algo.
StartupFeed Insight
The most telling number here is not 500 million, it is roughly 50 million. That is how far Threads now trails X on monthly users, after starting from zero in 2023. Instagram remains the engine: posts shown inside Instagram feed straight into Threads, giving Meta a distribution lever no rival can match. Founders studying growth should watch this closely, because it shows the power of an owned audience over paid acquisition. StartupFeed expects Threads to cross 600 million monthly users before its fourth anniversary in July 2027, even as ad revenue stays modest through 2026. By StartupFeed Desk.
Threads Tops 500 Million Users: The Numbers
Threads added about 100 million monthly users since August 2025 to reach 500 million, Meta confirmed. The app has roughly tripled its base in two years, climbing through a clear set of public milestones reported by Meta and tracked by Tracxn.
| Metric | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Current MAU | 500 million | Announced June 16, 2026 (Meta) |
| Launch date | July 2023 | 100 million sign-ups in first days |
| Zuckerberg’s target | 1 billion MAU | 500 million is exactly half |
| Added since Aug 2025 | +100 million | Slower pace than earlier spurts |
| Daily active users | Up YoY | Exact figure withheld (Bloomberg) |
The most striking detail is the daily user growth, since several external trackers had estimated Threads’ base was shrinking. That claim now sits at odds with Meta’s own reading.
About Threads
Threads is a text-based social network owned by Meta Platforms, launched in July 2023 by the Instagram team and led by Connor Hayes. Built as a friendlier rival to X, it lets users post short updates, links, photos, and videos. Headquartered in Menlo Park, the app ties tightly into Instagram for sign-up and discovery. Its parent Meta also owns Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
Why is Threads growing so fast?
Threads grows largely on the back of Instagram’s distribution, Meta and analysts agree. Users scrolling Instagram often see Threads posts in their feeds, and tapping one opens the Threads app directly. Meta also credits its communities feature, which gathers people around shared interests like books, basketball, and parenting.
“Threads has reached 500 million monthly active users, a milestone that reflects people’s desire for a public space built around conversation,” Meta said in its announcement.
Hayes told Bloomberg that more people now open Threads directly, a sign the app is becoming self-sustaining rather than only an Instagram add-on. That shift matters for long-term staying power.
How does Threads compare to X?
Threads now sits about 50 million monthly users behind X, the rival it was built to challenge. X reported roughly 550 million monthly active users as of May 2026, per the SpaceX prospectus that disclosed X’s figures, according to Social Media Today. X does not publish full usage data in any official forum, so its number fluctuates.
| Platform | Monthly Users | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Threads | 500 million | Meta Platforms |
| X | ~550 million | X Corp (SpaceX subsidiary) |
What sets Threads apart is its built-in pipeline from Instagram, a head start X simply cannot copy.
Does Threads make money for Meta?
Threads is not yet a meaningful revenue source for Meta, company executives have signalled. Meta expanded Threads advertising to 200 countries earlier in 2026, opening fresh monetisation paths. Even so, Chief Financial Officer Susan Li said in April 2026 that the company does not expect Threads to be a “meaningful driver” of revenue growth in 2026.
That stance suggests Meta is prioritising user scale and engagement first, with serious ad income to follow once the base hardens. The strategy mirrors how Zuckerberg grew Facebook and Instagram before switching on heavy monetisation.
What’s Next
The next big test is whether Threads can keep adding 100 million users per cycle while turning casual visitors into daily users. Meta will likely share fresh figures at its next quarterly earnings call. Watch for ad-revenue signals and deeper Instagram integration through 2026. Can Threads close the final gap and overtake X on monthly users within the year?
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Last updated: June 17, 2026 at 11:45 IST
Written by Avinash. Published: June 17, 2026. Updated: June 17, 2026. Have a tip? Write to us at editorial@startupfeed.in.
