X Struggles as Android Downloads Plunge 44%

News Desk

Islamabad: Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, is facing a significant drop in Android downloads, posing a challenge to its subscription revenue growth—even as iOS installs continue to climb. According to new data from app analytics firm Appfigures, the platform saw a 44% year-over-year decline in Google Play installs in July 2025, a drop steep enough to drag down its overall mobile download performance.

Combined installs across both iOS and Android fell 26% compared to the previous year. While this was an improvement over June’s 35% decline, the overall trend remains negative. On a more positive note, Apple’s App Store saw a 15% increase in X downloads during the same period, helping to cushion the overall drop.

Buggy Android Experience Under Fire

The reason behind the sharp Android decline is not entirely clear, but the app has long been criticized for being unstable, frequently crashing, and generally unreliable.Newly appointed Head of Product Nikita Bier—previously known for viral teen apps Gas and TBH—has acknowledged the app’s issues. He recently announced the formation of an “Android Dream Team” tasked with rebuilding the app from the ground up. In a recent post, Bier pointed to a “record week” for X’s iOS installs, likely in an attempt to balance out concerns about the Android user base.

Mixed Results for Rivals

While some suspect frustrated Android users may be turning to competing platforms, the data shows a mixed picture. Bluesky, a decentralized alternative, recorded just 119,000 downloads on Google Play in July—far behind X’s numbers.

Meta’s Threads, however, continues to grow steadily in daily active users, possibly chipping away at X’s mobile engagement.

Subscription Revenue Takes a Hit

The slump in Android usage is also affecting X’s subscription business. In July, the platform brought in $16.9 million in net revenue—up slightly from June’s $16.8 million, but still down from the March high of $18.8 million. Appfigures noted that while advertising still accounts for the majority of X’s revenue, dwindling Android demand has slowed premium subscription growth.

Adding to the challenge is the rise of Grok, X’s AI chatbot, which now has its own app. Many users who once subscribed to X Premium for AI access are now shifting to the standalone Grok app instead.

With Android users making up the majority of the global smartphone market, X’s ability to rebuild and stabilize its app could be crucial to its future. Until then, the platform risks losing both engagement and paying subscribers to rivals.