Meta Bets on Muse as AI App Accelerates Growth

Rapid Adoption and Market Data

Since its launch on September 8, Muse has surpassed 3.4 million downloads, according to Sensor Tower’s latest estimate, up from 2.5 million earlier in the week. Independent trackers show a wider range: Apptopia reports 4.3 million total installs to date, with about 2.6 million on iOS alone, while Appfigures puts the figure at roughly 2.3 million, split almost evenly between iOS and Android. The app is currently available only in the United States and Canada.

Following the Meta Connect developer conference, Sensor Tower recorded a 27 percent jump in daily active users on the day after the event. In its first two weeks, Muse logged an estimated 2.8 million downloads and a 55 percent day‑over‑day growth rate, outpacing ChatGPT’s 24 percent growth in its first ten days. Muse has held the number‑one spot on the U.S. App Store since September 18 and has topped Google Play since September 19.

Meta’s Promotion Strategy

At Meta Connect, the company unveiled upcoming Muse features such as video chat with a Muse avatar, Mac desktop support, a dedicated email address, additional partners and connectors, and plans for smart‑glass integration. Meta also leveraged its existing Facebook and Instagram user base, applying the same cross‑platform push that helped Instagram Threads exceed 500 million monthly active users.

Connor Hayes, Meta’s Head of Threads, told Business Insider that Meta’s approach to marketing Muse differs from its approach with Threads. While Threads relies on interest‑based user‑generated content for cross‑promotions, Muse’s strategy focuses on creating promotional units that demonstrate what the AI can do for each individual user, based on Meta’s understanding of what would be useful or helpful to them specifically.

Meta began running house ads for Muse on September 9, a day after launch, and within ten days the app received the largest share of house advertising across Meta’s properties, ahead of promotions for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company also expanded Muse’s reach by placing ads on mobile ad networks and other platforms, including Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube. By September 22, Muse ranked among the top ten brands in advertising spend, according to Sensor Tower.

Despite the extensive promotion, advertising accounted for only 6 percent of all ad impressions generated by Muse from launch through September 19, indicating that organic demand remains a primary driver of the app’s momentum.