X Reports Record App Downloads and Strong EU Growth

X is reporting its strongest-ever week of first-time downloads, a milestone that has raised questions about whether the service is seeing a resurgence. The announcement comes as the company continues to face declining engagement figures in many markets following Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition and subsequent rebrand.

According to X’s new Head of Product Nikita Bier, the app saw more new installs last week than at any point in its history, including during its years as Twitter. Third-party data appears to support the claim: Similarweb charts show a sharp spike in Google Play Store rankings, while Sensor Tower reported a parallel rise in Apple’s App Store. The timing follows Musk’s recent criticism of Apple, in which he alleged that the company was artificially suppressing X’s chart performance.

X has also pointed to growth in Europe, the only region where it still publishes official usage figures. Musk has claimed the platform now hosts roughly 600 million monthly active users worldwide, up from around 500 million in 2023. However, according to Similarweb, active European users have fallen 15% since Musk’s takeover even if total EU accounts are rising – industry observers say it is too early to attribute any momentum to recent product changes under Bier’s leadership.

More clarity may come in the weeks ahead. Under the EU’s Digital Services Act, X is required to publish updated usage figures for the region next month, which will offer the most concrete measure of whether the platform is stabilizing, growing, or seeing declines.