Meta AI’s mobile app is surging, and the numbers are hard to ignore. New analysis from market intelligence provider Similarweb shows daily active users on iOS and Android have climbed to 2.7 million as of October 17, up from roughly 775,000 just four weeks earlier. App installs are accelerating, too, hitting around 300,000 new downloads per day, compared with under 200,000 per day only a few weeks ago. For perspective, the app saw just 4,000 daily downloads on October 17, 2024—an astonishing year-over-year leap.
What’s fueling the spike? Similarweb didn’t find a clear link to search or ad activity, though it’s possible Meta is leaning on promotions within Facebook or Instagram that wouldn’t show up in the firm’s estimates. There’s also a compelling product-side explanation: the debut of the Vibes feed on September 25. This new short-form, AI-generated video experience landed just as usage began to soar, and the timing strongly aligns with the jump in daily active users.
Industry buzz may be lending an extra boost. OpenAI’s Sora recently captured attention by racing up the App Store charts, and that spotlight on AI video could have prompted some users to try Meta AI for comparison. Another plausible factor is access: with Sora operating on an invite-only basis, many curious users may have turned to Meta AI as an open alternative to experiment with similar creative tools.
Competitive momentum appears to be shifting, at least in the short term. As of October 17, Meta AI’s app recorded a 15.58% increase in daily active users worldwide. Over the same period, Similarweb’s data shows declines for several rivals: ChatGPT fell 3.51%, Grok dropped 7.35%, and Perplexity dipped 2.29%.
Taken together, the data points to a powerful combination of product innovation and heightened consumer curiosity around AI video. If Meta continues to iterate on the Vibes feed and capitalize on this momentum, its mobile app could remain a top destination for users exploring the latest in generative AI experiences.
