X, formerly known as Twitter, is encountering a significant challenge in its mobile user acquisition strategy, marked by a stark divergence in performance between its Android and iOS applications. While the platform has demonstrated growth in new installs on Apple’s App Store, data from app intelligence provider Appfigures reveals a substantial decline in new downloads from Google Play, raising questions about user experience and broader market share on the Android ecosystem.
- X is facing a significant challenge in mobile user acquisition.
- There is a stark divergence in performance between its Android and iOS applications.
- The platform has shown growth in new installs on Apple’s App Store.
- Conversely, new downloads from Google Play have seen a substantial decline.
- This disparity prompts concerns regarding user experience and Android market share.
Specifically, in July 2025, X downloads on Google Play experienced a considerable 44% year-over-year decrease worldwide in new installations. This decline stands in sharp contrast to a 15% growth in iOS downloads during the same period. The disparity has consequently dragged down X’s overall mobile download average, resulting in a 26% year-over-year decrease in total mobile downloads as of July, despite a slight improvement from the 35% drop recorded the month prior.
Strategic Imperatives for X
The persistent underperformance on Android is not an unknown issue for X, with the application frequently cited for its technical instabilities, including bugs and crashes. Acknowledging this critical area, Nikita Bier, X’s recently appointed head of product, has publicly signaled the company’s commitment to addressing these foundational problems. Bier announced on the platform that X is actively recruiting for an “Android Dream Team” to undertake a comprehensive rebuilding of the Android application, indicating a strategic prioritization of this user base. Concurrently, Bier has highlighted the iOS app’s achievement of a record week in installs, a potential effort to counterbalance the narrative surrounding the Android slump.
The exodus of potential Android users from X does not appear to be uniformly benefiting rival platforms. For instance, Bluesky has experienced a deceleration in its growth, recording only 119,000 downloads from Google Play in July—a figure dwarfed by X’s monthly install numbers across both major mobile operating systems. However, Meta’s Threads has demonstrated increasing traction in daily active users, suggesting it may be capturing a segment of Android users seeking alternative social platforms.
Revenue Implications and Challenges
Beyond user acquisition, the challenges on Android devices are also contributing to X’s struggles in growing its subscription revenue, as identified by Appfigures. In July, X reported a net revenue of $16.9 million, a decrease from the $18.8 million earned in March 2025, although it represented a marginal increase from $16.8 million in June. While advertising remains the predominant revenue stream for X, the performance of its premium subscriptions is a key indicator of its diversification efforts.
The decline in Android demand is compounded by the emergence of Grok, X’s AI offering, as a standalone application. This development appears to be diverting paying customers who previously subscribed to X primarily for its AI features, further fragmenting the subscription base. The confluence of declining Android adoption and internal competition from Grok underscores the multi-faceted revenue challenges facing the platform as it seeks to stabilize and grow its non-advertising income streams.
Sophia Patel brings deep expertise in portfolio management and risk assessment. With a Master’s in Finance, she writes practical guides and in-depth analyses to help investors build and protect their wealth.