Twitter, once the go-to social media platform for news and personal updates, has seen a significant decline in downloads since it was rebranded to “X” by Elon Musk.
A report by Apptopia found that Twitter’s downloads fell by nearly 30% within two months of the rebranding, marking its lowest point in over a decade. The web version of the platform also saw a decrease in traffic, with global visits down by 10% in August compared to the previous year.
Historically, Twitter has added an average of 15 to 30 million new users each month since 2011. However, in the two months since the rebranding, the platform has only added 10 million new users. This is a significant drop from the previous year, when Twitter only experienced an 18% decrease in downloads in the months leading up to Musk’s acquisition.
The decline in downloads is also reflected in the number of active users on the platform. In July, Twitter had 253 million daily active users. This number has now fallen to 249 million in September. Monthly active users have also declined, from 398 million in July to 393 million in September.
These numbers are a setback for Musk, who has previously expressed ambitions of hitting 1 billion monthly users by 2024. While there was an initial surge in downloads and usage following Musk’s takeover in October, the momentum couldn’t be sustained.
It is unclear what has caused the decline in Twitter’s popularity. Some analysts believe that the rebranding was confusing and alienated users. Others believe that the platform’s focus on free speech has alienated some users, particularly those who are concerned about the spread of misinformation.
Whatever the reason, the decline in Twitter’s popularity is a major challenge for Musk. If he is to achieve his goal of making Twitter a global leader in social media, he will need to find a way to reverse the trend.
In the meantime, Musk has said that he is working on adding new features to Twitter, such as video and voice calls. He has also said that he is committed to making the platform a more open and free platform for speech.
Only time will tell whether Musk’s changes will be enough to turn Twitter around. However, the current numbers suggest that the platform is facing a serious challenge.
Twitter Downloads Drop 30% After Rebranding to “X”
In the months since the rebranding, Twitter has faced a number of challenges. In addition to the decline in downloads and active users, the platform has also been criticized for its handling of misinformation and hate speech.
In August, Twitter was fined $48 million by the Federal Trade Commission for failing to protect users’ privacy. The FTC found that Twitter had collected users’ phone numbers and email addresses without their consent, and had used this information to target them with advertising.
In September, Twitter was criticized for its slow response to the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform was accused of allowing false and misleading information to spread on its platform, which could have contributed to the spread of the virus.
These challenges have put a strain on Twitter’s reputation and its financial performance. In October, Twitter’s stock price fell by 20% after the company reported its quarterly earnings. The company also announced that it would be laying off 30% of its workforce.
Musk has said that he is confident that he can turn Twitter around. However, he has a lot of work to do. The company needs to address the concerns of its users, improve its content moderation policies, and regain its reputation as a reliable source of information.
Only time will tell whether Musk will be able to achieve his goals for Twitter. However, the current challenges facing the company suggest that it will be a difficult task.
In the meantime, here are some of the things that Musk is doing to try to turn Twitter around:
- He is adding new features to the platform, such as video and voice calls.
- He is working to make the platform more open and free for speech.
- He is hiring new employees to help with content moderation.
- He is meeting with users to get their feedback on the platform.
It remains to be seen whether Musk’s changes will be enough to turn Twitter around. However, he is clearly committed to making the platform a success.