X Targets Threads Users With “Better Than Threads” App Store Jab

Elon Musk’s X is taking direct aim at Meta’s Threads with a pointed new App Store tactic. A screenshot shared on Threads by user @ceceruleanwonder revealed that X is now displaying a “Better than Threads” headline on its promoted App Store listing — a tagline that appears specifically when users search for Threads in the App Store. The platform’s standard listing continues to display its regular “Be the First to Know” headline to general audiences.

A Rivalry X Once Dismissed

The move is a notable shift in tone. Musk previously downplayed Threads as “Instagram minus pics,” arguing the concept made little sense, and dismissed its community as “smug hall monitors and snitches.” Despite the public bravado, Musk simultaneously threatened legal action against Meta in 2023, hinting that concern over the rival platform ran deeper than he let on publicly.

The competitive anxiety appears data-driven. Threads has grown to 400 million monthly active users since launching three years ago, while X has remained largely stagnant at around 600 million. With X reportedly declining in certain regions, the gap between the two platforms in terms of active engagement is narrowing considerably.

Signs That Threads May Be Slowing

However, Threads isn’t without its own challenges. Data from Apptopia suggests the platform’s active user numbers have dipped each month for the past eight months. Meta itself has not published any user growth figures since announcing 400 million users in August 2025, raising questions about whether the platform has hit a growth ceiling.

Either way, X’s App Store dig signals one thing clearly — the competition between these two platforms is very much alive.