Reports of a significant decline in downloads following Elon Musk’s rebranding of Twitter to X only tell part of the story. While it is true that the microblogging social network saw its weekly active users drop 4% over the subsequent weeks after the rebrand (August 6-20), as well as a fall of four spots in the Overall category rankings to No. 36, according to an analysis from app intelligence firm Sensor Tower, there are some notable bright spots for the app previously known as Twitter.
Revenue Sees Unexpected Increase
One such bright spot is that revenue surprisingly increased post-rebrand. From August 6 through August 20, revenue substantially jumped by ~25%, primarily driven by revenue from iOS (up 24%), Sensor Tower found.
iOS Drives Revenue Growth
The significant increase in revenue can be attributed to the performance of iOS devices. The growth in revenue from these devices is a testament to the enduring popularity of Twitter among its user base, particularly on mobile platforms.
Consumer Confusion Leads to Increase in Downloads for Twitter Lite
However, the rebrand appears to have led to consumer confusion on the app stores. Although many tech-savvy users were aware of the name change, a number of mainstream consumers looking for Twitter in the app stores were not. So when they typed ‘Twitter’ into the app store’s search bar, they would only find the app Twitter Lite, designed for emerging markets, returned.
Rise in Downloads for Twitter Lite
This experience seems to have driven a large spike in Twitter Lite installs in the first week of the rebranding (July 23-August 5). During this time, Twitter Lite downloads jumped up by around 350%, said Sensor Tower. Combined with X, the Twitter ecosystem of apps saw downloads grow by 11%, driven by installs in India, the U.S. and Indonesia.
Impact on Other Apps
The X rebrand additionally impacted other apps, like rivals Bluesky, Instagram Threads and Mastodon.
Bluesky Sees Significant Growth
In the first week (July 23-August 5) of the rebrand, Threads downloads dropped 70%, leaving the app ranked 16th Overall. However, Bluesky and Mastodon saw downloads increase by 180% and 15%, respectively — an indication that those fleeing the new X largely turned to Bluesky instead.
Threads Sees Revival
However, in the weeks that followed (August 8-20), Threads saw an uptick in downloads with growth up by roughly 50% while also moving up one spot to 12th Overall in the category rankings. By this time, Threads had also rolled out a number of new features, including a chronological feed.
Bluesky and Mastodon See Decline
On the other hand, Bluesky and Mastodon saw downloads decline after the rebranding of X subdued, with installs dropping 25% and 40%, respectively. The ‘X-odus,’ in other words, has not settled on a new platform.
Twitter Lite Continues to Thrive
Meanwhile, one X-owned app continued to do well — Twitter Lite downloads increased, up 50% from the previous time frame. It seems the brand name ‘Twitter’ still holds some clout on the app stores, and is stealing away potential installs from the newly renamed X.
A Mixed Bag for X
X, meanwhile, fell 4 spots to 36 at this time as its own installs decreased by 8%. That includes a decline across both iOS and Android, down 22% and 18%, respectively. While it may seem like a negative trend, the mixed bag of results suggests that there are still many variables at play.
Conclusion
The rebranding of Twitter to X has been met with a mixed response from users and developers alike. While revenue saw an unexpected increase, consumer confusion led to an uptick in downloads for Twitter Lite. The impact on other apps like Bluesky, Threads, and Mastodon is also significant, with some seeing growth while others decline.
What’s Next?
As the dust settles on the rebranding of Twitter to X, it will be interesting to see how these trends continue to unfold. Will X continue to attract users and developers alike, or will the mixed bag of results lead to a more cautious approach? Only time will tell.
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