Meta AI’s app downloads and daily users spiked after launch of ‘Vibes’ AI video feed

New data indicates that usage of Meta AI’s mobile apps for iOS and Android has grown significantly. According to a new analysis from a market intelligence provider similar webThe app’s daily active users on both platforms reached 2.7 million as of Oct. 17, up from about 775,000 just four weeks ago. In addition, Meta AI’s app installs also increased, reaching 300,000 new downloads per day, compared to less than 200,000 daily downloads a few weeks ago.

For comparison, Meta AI’s app had only 4,000 daily downloads a year ago, on October 17, 2024.

The firm said it didn’t see any meaningful correlation between search or advertising estimates, but noted Meta could run Facebook or Instagram campaigns that wouldn’t be captured in its model.

However, there’s another possible explanation for the sharp increase: the September launch of Meta’s new Vibes feed, which introduced short-form AI-generated videos to the Meta AI mobile app.

Meta AI introduced Vibes feed on September 25, which correlates to a sharp increase in daily active users of the app on iOS and Android, as seen in the chart below.

Recently, OpenAI’s video generator Sora made headlines as its app shot to the top of the App Store as users flocked to try the new technology. However, Meta AI could have benefited from this launch as well. Although Similarweb says its data doesn’t prove cause and effect, it’s possible that attention to Sora prompted some people to try Meta AI, in order to compare the two experiences.

Another possibility is that the meta could benefit from Sora’s invite-only status. That is, those who haven’t tried the OpenAI app can look for an option to try. This would also be an interesting explanation, as it suggests that OpenAI’s decision to gatekeeper Sora directly encouraged its rivals.

As of October 17, Meta AI’s app grew by 15.58% in global daily active users, while ChatGPT, Grok and Perplexity saw declines of 3.51%, 7.35% and 2.29% respectively.