Twitter’s Ranking Is Tanking ⇥ threads.net
Twitter has seen a dramatic decrease in its Top Downloaded chart position across both platforms since the app was renamed to X. Why? The situation presents a fascinating case study at the intersection of brand equity and mobile platform dynamics.
At this moment, Threads is #2 on the App Store’s top free downloads list, and X is #51. On the Play Store, Threads is #6 and X is (scroll, scroll, scroll…) #66. This rebranding would be a firing offense if the mastermind behind it didn’t own the company. (So much for Threads being the one that’s supposedly gasping for air.)
In the list of all free apps in the Canadian App Store, Threads is #3, while Twitter is #76 because it is now called “X” and that character means so little it is literally used as a placeholder for people to think of other, better stuff. Once installed, it remains a nagging pain. Because I have no idea where this app is on my iPhone, I launch it by through Spotlight; typing “tw” no longer shows the app and it takes me a beat or two to remember what its new name is.
It is remarkable to me how the only social network that really clicked with me and which I used steadily for over fifteen years became, in less than a year, something I barely think about or interact with.