In spite of the assertions made by X CEO Linda Yaccarino, who claimed that the social network experienced record-high usage during the summer, a new report is casting doubt on those assertions, stating that X’s usage has, in fact, decreased on all fronts, both on the web and on mobile platforms. According to data from market intelligence firm Similarweb, X’s global website traffic declined by 14% year-over-year in September, with U.S. traffic seeing a 19% drop. On mobile devices in the U.S., there was a 17.8% year-over-year decline, based on monthly active users on iOS and Android.
While the U.S. accounts for about a quarter of X’s web traffic, other countries also witnessed declines in web traffic, including the U.K. (-11.6%), France (-13.4%), Germany (-17.9%), and Australia (-17.5%).
The report emphasizes that these declines in usage were not limited to September alone. Long-term trends also showed a decrease in usage. When comparing the first nine months of 2023 with the same period in 2022, Similarweb found that X’s website traffic was down by 11.6% year-over-year in the U.S. and by 7% worldwide. Mobile app usage in the U.S. also decreased by 12.8% during the same time frame.
However, there is a positive note for X, or rather for its owner, Elon Musk. Traffic to Musk’s profile page on the platform saw a significant increase of 96% year-over-year as of last month.
Similarweb’s estimates are derived from machine learning algorithms powered by data from millions of websites and apps, including their own consumer products that measure device traffic data, as well as partnerships with other companies, including ISPs, measurement firms, and demand-side platforms. The methodology for mobile devices heavily relies on Android data due to the strict data privacy regulations imposed by Apple on its App Store.
Despite the insights into Android data, X’s performance is not particularly strong. On this front, Similarweb notes that X’s mobile app usage worldwide decreased by 14.8% on Android, compared to the 17.8% drop in the U.S. across iOS and Android.
The report also highlights that X’s declines are part of a broader trend, as web traffic to the top 100 social networks and online communities tracked by the firm declined by 3.7% in September, with the exception of TikTok, which experienced a 22.8% global growth. Facebook’s web traffic, for example, saw a 10.4% decline.
On mobile platforms, the same trend is evident, with X’s monthly active users declining by 17.8% in September, while Facebook and Instagram experienced declines of 8% and 3.7%, respectively.
Additionally, Similarweb’s analysis points to the diminishing significance of X in the news ecosystem. Three years ago, The New York Times received 3-4% of its traffic from Twitter, but that has now dropped to less than 1%. X began restricting links to the Times and other competitors in August. However, the importance of Twitter to news publishers has often been overstated, as indicated by NPR’s departure from the platform six months ago, with negligible traffic loss.
Although the report doesn’t offer much positive news for X, it acknowledges that the platform still maintains a user base, despite erosion. “The X/Twitter audience has eroded but not evaporated,” noted Similarweb’s Senior Insights Manager David Carr.
X is likely to dispute Similarweb’s findings, as the company’s executives have consistently highlighted traffic increases, not declines. They recently told TechCrunch that X records 500 million posts per day, including original content, replies, and reposts, generating 100 billion impressions daily. Yaccarino also shared other figures at an event in October, noting that people are spending 14% more time on X, with a 20% increase in video consumption, and 1.5 million users signing up for X daily, a 4% year-over-year increase.
