Meta Muse hits 10 million US downloads in 40 days, outpacing AI rivals
Market data shows Meta’s AI companion achieved a rare download milestone in its first month, surpassing ChatGPT and retaining users at higher rates.
Key points
- Meta’s Muse reached 10.9 million total downloads, with 10.2 million in the US, within 40 days of launch.
- The app achieved a 30% seven-day retention rate, significantly higher than the 19% average for competing AI apps.
- Meta allocated 39% of its October advertising spend to promoting Muse, driving its rapid market entry.
Meta’s AI companion application, Muse, has surpassed 10 million downloads in the United States within its first 40 days on the market. This achievement places the app in an exclusive group of mobile software titles, including Meta’s own Threads, that have reached such scale so quickly after launch, according to new data from market intelligence provider Sensor Tower.
Sensor Tower reported that Muse has accumulated 10.9 million downloads globally since its September debut. Of that total, 10.2 million installs occurred in the United States. Kara Lee, a Senior Insights Analyst at Sensor Tower, noted that only 11 other apps have ever reached this specific post-launch milestone. The most recent previous app to achieve this was Threads in July 2023, while other titles in this category have largely been mobile games rather than utility or social tools.
Marketing and Retention Metrics
Meta’s rapid adoption is linked to its strategy of promoting new products across its existing ecosystem of 3.6 billion daily active users. The company is also investing heavily in external advertising to drive traffic to the AI agent. According to Sensor Tower’s data, Meta allocated 39% of its total advertising spend to market Muse in October, a significant increase from 23% in September.
This marketing push has elevated Muse’s visibility, ranking it as the 21st largest brand in the U.S. by advertising impressions in October, up from 73rd in September. However, acquiring users is distinct from keeping them engaged. Muse is demonstrating stronger retention capabilities than its primary AI competitors, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok. In the U.S. market, the app maintained a 30% retention rate after seven days and a 23% rate after 14 days. By comparison, rival applications averaged a 19% seven-day retention rate and a 16% 14-day retention rate, according to the firm’s data.
Competitive Landscape and Engagement
Muse’s performance contrasts sharply with the launch metrics of other leading AI assistants. ChatGPT recorded 3.7 million U.S. downloads in its first 40 days, while Grok and Claude saw 500,000 and 200,000 U.S. downloads, respectively, in the same timeframe. Muse also reached a milestone of 2.5 million daily active users for the first time on October 16, representing a 15% week-over-week increase in active engagement.
The app’s breakout success has seen it reach the No. 1 spot on the App Store and temporarily outpace some of the initial metrics observed during ChatGPT’s launch. This rapid growth occurs alongside earlier security concerns regarding the platform. As Threat Times reported on October 20, 2026, researchers from Claroc found that a single passive DNS query could reveal thousands of publicly accessible links containing private data shared via Meta’s AI agent.
What should you do?
Security professionals and users should monitor the privacy settings associated with AI companion applications, particularly those integrated into larger social ecosystems. Reviewing data sharing permissions can help mitigate exposure to accidental public disclosure of sensitive information. Organizations should assess whether employees are using such tools for business communications, as the line between personal and professional data can blur in AI interactions.
What to do and how to stay safe: Meta
- Audit privacy settings on AI companion apps to ensure conversations and data are not publicly accessible or indexed.
- Review organizational policies regarding the use of consumer AI tools for handling sensitive business or personal information.
- Monitor for security advisories related to AI platforms, especially those highlighting data exposure vulnerabilities.
- Educate users on the risks of sharing identifiable information with AI agents that may store or process data in publicly visible ways.
Step-by-step guide: Prompt Injection Warning Signs: How to Spot AI Manipulation
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
How many downloads did Meta Muse achieve in its first 40 days?
Muse reached 10.9 million total downloads, with 10.2 million of those occurring in the United States.
How does Muse's retention rate compare to other AI apps?
Muse had a 30% seven-day retention rate, which is higher than the 19% average seen in rival AI applications like ChatGPT and Claude.
Which other apps have reached 10 million US downloads in 40 days?
Only 11 other apps have reached this milestone, with Meta’s Threads being the most recent in July 2023.
