Elon Musk’s social media platform X is grappling with a steep decline in Android downloads, threatening its subscription revenue growth, even as iOS installs continue to rise, according to new data from app analytics firm Appfigures.
In July 2025, X saw a 44% year-over-year drop in new installs on Google Play, a decline so sharp that it pulled down the company’s overall mobile download average.
Across iOS and Android combined, installs were down 26% YoY, an improvement compared to June when total downloads dropped by 35%.
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On the other hand, Apple’s App Store told a different story: iOS downloads grew 15% over the same period, softening the overall decline.
Buggy android app under scrutiny
The cause of the Android slump remains unclear, but X’s app on the platform has long been criticized as buggy, crash-prone, and unreliable.
Newly appointed X head of product Nikita Bier — known for building viral teen apps Gas and TBH — has acknowledged the problem. Bier announced the creation of an “Android Dream Team” tasked with rebuilding the app from scratch.
In a recent post, Bier also highlighted that X’s iOS app had “a record week in installs,” likely an effort to offset concerns over the Android downturn.
Rivals see mixed fortunes
While some speculate that frustrated Android users may be migrating to rivals, numbers tell a mixed story. Decentralized platform Bluesky drew only 119,000 downloads on Google Play in July, far below X’s scale.
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However, Meta’s Threads has been steadily gaining ground in daily active users, potentially eating into X’s mobile engagement.
Subscription revenue struggles
Beyond installs, the Android slowdown is hitting X’s premium subscription business. In July, the platform generated $16.9 million in net revenue, slightly up from June ($16.8M) but down from its March peak of $18.8M.
Appfigures noted that while ads still make up the bulk of X’s revenue, the decline in Android demand has curbed subscription growth. Another factor is the rise of Grok, X’s AI chatbot, which now has its own standalone app, luring away users who previously subscribed to X Premium for AI access.
With Android accounting for the majority of global smartphone users, X’s ability to fix its app could prove critical to its growth. Until then, the platform risks ceding ground to competitors and losing paying subscribers.
