Techin' Geek

Sarvam, an Indian startup specializing in developing models for regional languages and users, launched its Indus chat application for both web and mobile platforms on Friday, marking its entry into a rapidly expanding market that is currently led by global entities such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

This release arrives as India emerges as a crucial arena for the adoption of generative AI. Recently, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman stated that ChatGPT boasts over 100 million weekly active users in India, while Anthropic mentioned that India makes up 5.8% of total Claude usage, trailing only the U.S.

Indus acts as a chat interface for the newly launched Sarvam 105B model, which is the company’s large language model with 105 billion parameters. This app’s debut follows the unveiling of the 105B and 30B models by Bengaluru-based Sarvam at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi just two days prior. During the summit, the startup detailed its enterprise strategies and hardware plans, as well as collaborations with companies like HMD to integrate AI into Nokia feature phones and Bosch for AI-driven automotive solutions.

Now in beta testing on iOS, Android, and the web, the Indus app enables users to type or voice their queries and receive replies in both text and audio formats. Users can log in via their phone number, Google or Microsoft accounts, or Apple ID, although the service is currently seemingly restricted to India.

The app has certain limitations at present. Users do not have the ability to erase their chat history without also deleting their accounts, and there is no option to disable the app’s reasoning functionality, which may occasionally impede response times. Sarvam has also cautioned that access could be limited as it incrementally boosts its computing capacity.

“We are gradually introducing Indus with a limited compute capacity, so you may experience a waitlist initially. We will enhance access as time progresses,” Sarvam co-founder Pratyush Kumar noted on X, adding that the firm is looking for feedback from users.

Established in 2023, Sarvam has secured $41 million to date from backers such as Lightspeed Venture Partners, Peak XV Partners, and Khosla Ventures, as it develops extensive language models suited for the Indian market.

Sarvam stands among a growing but limited cohort of Indian startups striving to create homegrown alternatives to international artificial intelligence platforms as India aims for enhanced control over its AI infrastructure.

The creator economy is progressing rapidly, and relying solely on ad revenue isn’t sufficient anymore. YouTubers are starting product lines, acquiring startups, and creating substantial business empires. For instance, MrBeast’s organization acquired fintech startup Step, and his chocolate enterprise is bringing in more revenue than his media segment. This isn’t limited to just one creator’s approach. For many, it’s the new standard.

In this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Rebecca Bellan delve into how creators are extending their reach beyond ads, examining the potential for their models to succeed beyond the elite 1%, what is transpiring at India’s AI Impact Summit, and the most significant headlines of the week.

Scott Rogowsky is a stand-up comedian — he’s adept at poking fun at himself. This self-deprecating humor led him to wander through New York City Comic Con with a photo of himself printed like a “Wanted” poster, capturing moments as he queried strangers, “Have you seen this guy?”

The people passing by exhibited a moment of recognition, gazing at the tall, bearded figure as if he were someone they had encountered long ago, yet couldn’t quite identify.

“You seem familiar! Where do I know you from?” one person inquires, as if Rogowsky might be an acquaintance from a gathering.

“I recognize your face,” another person remarks, studying the 41-year-old intently.

Eventually, a cosplayer adorned as a Ghostbuster makes the connection.

“Weren’t you the guy who hosted that online game show?” he questions. “Like, every evening?”

Rogowsky was merely having a laugh at his own expense, fully adopting the role of a faded internet celebrity. “I understand my position,” he tells TechCrunch. “I’m not strolling around expecting everyone to recognize me.” 

However, just seven years prior, he was incredibly well-known. 

Rogowsky once represented HQ Trivia, an application that skyrocketed into popular culture, only to diminish from public memory almost as quickly. Between 2017 and 2019, Rogowsky hosted the interactive mobile game show bi-daily. At its highest point, it attracted over 2.4 million nightly viewers. It achieved 20 million downloads throughout its lifespan.

Now, the comedian is returning with his own app named Savvy, which shares a significant connection with HQ. Savvy’s inaugural game, TextSavvy, is a live daily game show where participants have the chance to earn cash — but this time, contestants compete against Rogowsky in a word puzzle format that resembles a mix of The New York Times’ Wordle and Connections, rather than trivia. 

“In a peculiar way, this seems to be my destiny,” Rogowsky states. “I step in front of that camera, with thousands watching from their homes — millions, back in the HQ era — and it comes naturally.”

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HQ Trivia was launched by the creators of Vine — the short-form video platform that preceded TikTok — becoming a cultural phenomenon. Major news outlets reported on workers halting their tasks during the day to engage in HQ at 3 p.m. It offered groundbreaking — appointment entertainment in a novel format for the streaming generation — until the venture collapsed under a wave of unfortunate events. 

One of the founders, Colin Kroll, passed away from a drug overdose; the other founder, Rus Yusupov, was a contentious figure who had disputes with his team. He once warned a reporter that he would terminate Rogowsky if she published an interview in which Rogowsky expressed admiration for Sweetgreen salads (Yusupov apparently didn’t want to provide free advertising to the fast-food chain). Ultimately, HQ Trivia fell prey to the same pitfalls that lead many startups to fail. The company had secured a $15 million funding round at a $100 million valuation, but it was — quite literally — handing out cash, and it never created a viable strategy to monetize or establish a sustainable business model. The firm eventually declared bankruptcy in February 2020, with its downfall becoming the subject of dramatic documentaries and podcasts investigating how such a promising app disintegrated so dramatically.

This, understandably, was a significant setback for Rogowsky. Yet more misfortune was on the horizon. An avid baseball fan, Rogowsky departed HQ Trivia in 2019 for a role hosting a daily show on MLB Network. He believed he had finally reached his peak — he still brightens at the memory of encountering Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez in the restroom. However, his show was canceled when the pandemic interrupted baseball. Over the years, he attempted several times to replicate a venture like HQ, but it was a series of false starts.

“Bizarre things occurred that were beyond my control, and I felt as if I were being tossed around on a raft in the sea, just battered by matters I couldn’t manage, and that reflected my general outlook on life,” he comments.

He considered his showbiz career to be over and opened a retro store in California. Yet, he yearned for comedy.

“I underwent a profound personal change in the past couple of years,” he revealed. This process culminated in a week-long mountain retreat known as “the Hoffman Process,” a program he describes as a digital detox intertwined with lessons in psychology and neuroscience that assisted him in “regaining control of [his] life.”

“It provided much clarity to say, you know what, I still have more to accomplish here,” Rogowsky states. “Emerging from that retreat, I felt, ‘I have something meaningful to share. People find me humorous and entertaining. I consider myself funny and entertaining.’”

Viewers tuned into HQ Trivia for the chance to win cash, though the odds of success were low. Millions returned each evening due to Rogowsky’s sharp wit and charisma, which garnered him a dedicated fanbase that still affectionately refers to him as “Quiz Daddy.” 

“From a psychological and emotional perspective, I struggled to process the whirlwind of events around my viral fame,” Rogowsky reflects. “And during the seven humbling years since, I’ve developed a vastly different outlook… I have my supporters, my core audience right here. They’re with me, and it’s about spreading the word.”

Over the years, Rogowsky has received numerous messages from individuals eager to assist him in creating the next HQ. But last year, a direct message from European game designer Johan de Jager captured his interest. 

“The concept was that the host competes against the audience, providing a two-way interaction,” Rogowsky explains. “Imagine HQ if I wasn’t merely posing questions but also responding to them… This introduces a new dimension that hadn’t been considered before.”

Yet, in an era dominated by AI, where players can effortlessly search for answers, Rogowsky was doubtful that a trivia-based game could maintain fairness, prompting Savvy to choose word puzzles instead.

The highest payout Savvy has offered in a single game is approximately $400 — a modest amount in comparison to HQ’s occasional six-figure prize offerings. This is because Rogowsky and his co-founders are self-funding the venture.

“Listen, I understand this isn’t the thousands of dollars you witnessed on HQ, the hundreds of thousands we eventually reached,” Rogowsky remarked during a recent TextSavvy episode. “However, the distinction is HQ was financed through venture capital. They had $8 million initially. They secured an additional $15 million from other investors. We don’t have that… This is a low-budget operation because I’m footing the bill!”

Rogowsky mentions he has conversed with potential investors about Savvy and even received appealing proposals. However, venture capital often entails pressure on founders to maximize profits swiftly, a model that can predispose a business to failure, as HQ illustrated. 

“Investors seek to 10x and 100x [their capital]… I would be truly content to achieve a level of profitability where we can continue to expand the company, hire more staff, and create more games,” Rogowsky expresses. “I’m not in the market for an eight-figure or nine-figure exit. This is what I’m passionate about. I will pursue this as long as I awake each morning feeling, ‘Wow, I’m thrilled to step in front of that camera and enjoy myself.’”

TextSavvy is currently in a “Season 0,” a soft launch that enables the team to address any technical issues before a formal launch on March 1. To this point, without extensive marketing, TextSavvy has peaked at roughly 4,000 viewers in one evening. 

This number pales in comparison to the HQ era. Nonetheless, when TechCrunch initially covered HQ, the app only had about 3,300 concurrent viewers. Who’s to say Savvy can’t replicate that success?

“We’re not going anywhere this time,” Rogowsky assured. “There’s no one here to dismiss me. There’s no conflict, no drama. There won’t be a documentary about Savvy as there was for HQ.”

Towards the end of last year, New York Assembly politician Alex Bores found himself on the receiving end of a campaign from a pro-AI super PAC aimed at derailing his congressional ambitions. The organization, Leading the Future, boasts over $100 million from supporters such as Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, AI search firm Perplexity, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale.

Bores’ retort was straightforward: bring it on. He now possesses the resources to back that assertion.

Public First Action, a PAC benefiting from a $20 million contribution from Anthropic, is allocating $450,000 to elevate Bores in the contest for New York’s 12th congressional district, as reported by Bloomberg. Similar to its opponent, the committee supports AI but promotes a distinct vision focused on transparency, safety regulations, and public oversight.

In contrast, the industry-supported PAC, Leading the Future, has already invested $1.1 million into advertisements targeting Bores, mainly due to his sponsorship of New York’s RAISE Act, which mandates that large AI developers reveal safety measures and report significant misuse of their technologies.

This week, Apple unveiled the newest iteration of its mobile OS, iOS 26.4, which brings numerous enhancements, such as an AI-driven playlist creation tool in Apple Music, video support in the Podcasts app, end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages, and much more. 

The upgrade is currently accessible in public beta, with an anticipated full rollout around March or April. 

AI Playlist in Apple Music

A significant addition can be found in Apple Music — iOS 26.4 features a novel AI-powered “Playlist Playground” that utilizes Apple Intelligence. This tool enables users to create a personalized 25-song playlist from a text prompt, such as “upbeat workout mix” or “relaxing evening.” Users can then customize the results further and even choose corresponding cover art. 

Moreover, Apple Music’s interface has been redesigned to highlight full-screen artwork for albums and playlists.

Local Concerts

Additionally, Apple Music is introducing a “Concerts Near You” feature that aids users in finding live performances by their preferred artists. This section can be filtered by date and genre, or you can change locations while traveling.

Video Episodes for Apple Podcasts

In response to Spotify’s advancements in video, Apple is making it easier to toggle between audio and video episodes in its Podcasts app with this update. Creators can release video podcasts via HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), and listeners can seamlessly transition between audio and video playback within the same episode, opting for a full horizontal view if desired.

Upon release, video episodes will be intertwined with existing Apple Podcasts features, including personalized recommendations and editorial curation found on the New tab and Category pages, akin to audio podcasts.

HLS also provides an automatic quality adjustment capability, enhancing video playback whether users are connected to Wi-Fi or cellular networks. Moreover, viewers can download video episodes for offline viewing. At launch, HLS will be supported by Acast, Amazon’s ART19, Triton’s Omny Studio, and SiriusXM, encompassing SiriusXM Media, AdsWizz, and Simplecast.

Creators will also have the option to dynamically add video advertisements, including host-read spots, into their podcasts. While Apple does not charge creators for podcast distribution, it has announced that, starting later in the year, participating ad networks will be subject to an impression-based fee for delivering dynamic ads in HLS videos.

RCS Messaging with Encryption

Messaging will also see a vital enhancement with the rollout of encrypted Rich Communication Services (RCS) in iOS 26.4. End-to-end encryption for RCS chats aims to ensure that messages exchanged between iPhone and Android users are as secure as iMessages.

At present, Apple is testing this encryption between iPhones in the beta. The conversations will be marked as encrypted and will not be readable while being transmitted across devices. Apple has stated that this feature will be publicly available in a future software update for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, and the beta is not yet compatible with all devices and carriers.

Default Stolen Device Detection

Security enhancements represent another prominent feature of iOS 26.4. Stolen Device Protection is now activated by default, providing an additional layer of biometric security for sensitive actions like accessing saved passwords or making specific changes to accounts. This requirement for Face ID or Touch ID authentication in more situations helps mitigate the risk of unauthorized access if the device is lost or the passcode is breached.

In-Car Video Playback in CarPlay

Users of Apple CarPlay will also observe some modifications. CarPlay is introducing the ability to play in-car video for specific apps — including the Apple TV app — but only when the vehicle is parked to prioritize safety. This improvement offers new entertainment options for passengers when they are halted or during extended waits in the vehicle. (Great for parents waiting in school pickup lines!)

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Third-Party AI Services Introduced to CarPlay

For the first time, CarPlay will provide access to third-party AI services such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude.

Audio Zoom Feature in the Camera App

In the meantime, the Camera app is incorporating an Audio Zoom feature. When filming videos, the microphone focuses on the subject as you zoom in, minimizing background noise and improving clarity. This innovation facilitates the recording of speeches, performances, or interviews without relying on external audio gear.

Additionally, users can now access the Ambient Music feature via a widget, allowing them to play soundscapes meant for focus, sleep, or relaxation directly from the Home Screen, rather than just through the Control Center as previously done. The feature, initially launched in iOS 18.4, included a variety of ambient sounds that could be streamed across diverse categories like Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.

“Urgent” Reminders

Another addition is a newly created “Urgent” section in the Reminders app that organizes high-priority tasks and can prompt louder alerts as deadlines draw near. Designating a reminder as Urgent will activate an alarm, ensuring you do not overlook the event.

And Additional Features …

Several other minor features are included:

• A newly consolidated Apple Account Hub across the App Store, Apple Music, and additional Apple applications replaces the former “profile” feature.
• The Messages app now features a fresh animation when drafting a message.
• An upgraded Wallpaper Gallery restructured into different categories; a similar layout has been applied to the Apple Watch Face Gallery. The revamped version includes sections for Weather, Astronomy, Emoji, and more, among other updates.
• Apple Music allows the addition of songs to several playlists simultaneously.
• The Health app introduces a new measurement: Average Bedtime, which tracks the average time at which you went to sleep over the previous two weeks. The Vitals section has also been updated to display blood oxygen levels on the daily graph.
• Freeform adds a Content Hub specifically for Creator Studio subscribers, granting access to new AI functionalities and high-quality artwork. Its icon has been updated as well.
• The Personal Hotspot feature now encompasses a Data Usage section detailing how much data has been transmitted to your device and which Apple and non-Apple devices have utilized your data.
• Live Captions introduces support for Chinese (Taiwan) among the language options.
• A new “Set Battery Charge Limit” action is now available in Shortcuts.
• The App Store’s Search bar has returned to the top of the screen.
• A more noticeable link to iCloud.com has been incorporated into the iCloud section within the Settings app, evolving from a simple toggle to “Access iCloud Data on the Web” into a more prominent promotion for iCloud.

Notably, this release does not include an advanced Siri experience. While Apple has indicated greater AI aspirations for its voice assistant, these significant changes do not appear in iOS 26.4, which has reportedly faced delays once more.

Without any prior experience in accounting, anyone who has taken a moment to view a 10-K or 10-Q can recognize that the creation of financial statements is a complicated and monotonous task.

Although traditional platforms like Workiva and Donnelley Financial Solutions strive to simplify financial reporting, veteran accountants Mary Antony (shown right) and Kelsey Gootnick (shown center) found themselves worn out by numerous manual obstacles within these platforms (co-founder and CTO Jared Tibshraeny is shown left).

The two met seven years prior at Flexport, where Gootnick held the position of controller and Antony worked as assistant controller. They maintained contact even after Antony transitioned to Miro and Gootnick to Hopin and subsequently Thrive Global.

Regardless of their workplace, Antony and Gootnick frequently encountered the same manual difficulties.

“The manner in which financial statements are compiled, it’s largely assembled from numerous spreadsheets, transferred into various Word documents, and circulated via email among individuals,” Antony mentioned to TechCrunch.  

Thus, in 2023, the two decided to establish InScope, an AI-driven financial reporting platform designed to assist companies and accounting firms in automating various facets of the financial statement preparation process. The startup recently secured $14.5 million in Series A funding, spearheaded by Norwest, with contributions from Storm Ventures and current investors Better Tomorrow Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners.

While InScope is not yet completely automating the creation of income statements and balance sheets, it does facilitate a substantial amount of the manual labor, ranging from math verification to formatting. Merely ensuring that dollar signs and commas are consistent and accurately positioned can save accountants nearly 20% of their time, as per Antony, InScope’s CEO.

Throughout the last year, InScope has expanded its client base fivefold, drawing in prominent accounting firms such as CohnReznick, currently positioned in the national top 15.

Naturally, it might take some time before accountants — a field Antony characterizes as risk-averse — become comfortable with AI fully managing financial statement preparation. Nevertheless, this is still InScope’s ultimate aspiration.

Norwest partner Sean Jacobsohn informed TechCrunch that he chose to invest in InScope after receiving feedback from several clients stating that the startup’s solution saves them considerable time.

Jacobsohn believes that InScope differentiates itself because very few founders have the specialized knowledge necessary to innovate in the financial reporting technology sector.

“It’s a very intricate domain, and you need to have experienced being in the shoes of the buyer beforehand,” he stated.

Antony concurs that accountants are not usually the kind of individuals who start companies. Luckily, she and Gootnick cultivated their entrepreneurial instincts through years of engagement within the dynamic environments of other rapidly growing startups.

Various AI laboratories prioritize different objectives. OpenAI has generally concentrated on individual users, while its competitor Anthropic generally aims at corporate clients. Recently, we learned that Elon Musk’s xAI is focusing heavily on video-game walkthroughs.

On Friday, Grace Kay from Business Insider shared an extensive and significant report regarding xAI, the AI startup recently taken over by SpaceX, highlighting how Musk is complicating matters for his staff. However, one particular story caught attention:

In a situation last year, a model release was postponed for several days due to Musk’s displeasure with how the chatbot responded to specific inquiries about the video game “Baldur’s Gate,” as reported by sources familiar with the events. High-ranking engineers were reassigned from other projects to enhance the answers before the launch, they mentioned.

Naturally, it’s understandable the frustration felt by any esteemed and skilled engineer who arrives at work expecting to tackle essential issues of knowledge and machine intelligence, only to be diverted into assisting a 54-year-old man in winning at his video game. Yet, this story raises an even more critical inquiry: Did Musk acquire the gaming proficiency he sought?

To explore that inquiry, our in-house RPG aficionado Ram Iyer compiled five general questions regarding Baldur’s Gate, which we tested against xAI and the three primary models in a sort of quasi-benchmark that I’ve named “BaldurBench.”

In the spirit of journalistic honesty, I’ve made all chat transcripts accessible, which you can view here: Grok, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

First, the positive news: Grok actually delivers quite accurate information. Its answers were somewhat packed with gamer terms — “save-scumming” rather than saving and “DPS” instead of damage — but they were both practical and well-informed, assuming you understood the context. Grok also has a strong affinity for tables and theorycrafting, which is what one would expect.

Numerous guides for Baldur’s Gate are available, and the models were generally utilizing the same resources, so the main distinctions were stylistic. ChatGPT favors bulleted lists and fragments, while Gemini enjoys highlighting important terms in bold.

The most unexpected result came from Claude, which was particularly worried about providing information that could spoil my gaming experience. When I inquired about effective party compositions, it concluded its guidance with, “Don’t worry too much and just enjoy what seems entertaining to you.” Thank you, Claude!

It’s crucial to remember that this is a domain where we know (thanks to Business Insider’s insights) that xAI has intentionally sought to achieve parity. Therefore, we shouldn’t interpret too much from the fact that, after the reported push, Grok’s recommendations were roughly equivalent to those of the other models. Nevertheless, it’s reassuring to see that xAI can deliver results when it puts in the effort.

 

A federal court in the U.S. has imposed a five-year prison sentence on a Ukrainian individual for involvement in a prolonged identity theft scheme that enabled North Korean workers abroad to unlawfully secure jobs at numerous U.S. businesses.

In 2024, U.S. prosecutors filed charges against Oleksandr Didenko, 29, a Kyiv resident, for arranging employment for North Koreans using the stolen identities of U.S. citizens to obtain job positions and salaries. Earnings from this operation were sent back to Pyongyang, where the regime allocated them to its sanctioned nuclear weapons initiatives.

This case adds to a sequence of recent convictions of individuals linked to facilitating ongoing “IT worker” schemes associated with North Korea. Security analysts have labeled North Korean workers as a “triple threat” to businesses in the U.S. and the West, as they breach U.S. sanctions, help North Koreans in stealing sensitive information from companies, and subsequently threaten those corporations into secrecy regarding their proprietary information.

According to prosecutors, Didenko operated a site called Upworksell, which permitted overseas individuals, including North Koreans, to purchase or rent stolen identities for employment opportunities with U.S. corporations. The Justice Department reported that Didenko managed over 870 stolen identities.

The FBI took control of Upworksell in 2024 and redirected its traffic to their servers. Polish law enforcement apprehended Didenko, who was extradited to the U.S. and eventually admitted guilt.

In a recent statement, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Didenko also compensated individuals to accept and maintain computers in their residences in California, Tennessee, and Virginia. These “laptop farms” consist of rooms equipped with racks of operational laptops, allowing North Koreans to carry out their tasks as though they were physically in the United States.

CrowdStrike, a leading security firm, indicated last year that there has been a significant increase in the influx of North Korean workers infiltrating businesses, frequently in the roles of remote developers or other technical software engineering positions. This operation is one of the many strategies the North Korean regime employs to enhance its resources while barred from utilizing the global financial system due to international sanctions.

North Koreans have also been known to pose as recruiters and venture capitalists in attempts to deceive unaware high-profile and high-net-worth targets into providing access to their computers, including cryptocurrency assets.

A judge has rejected Tesla’s appeal to overturn a $243 million jury verdict that found the automaker partially liable for a deadly accident involving its Autopilot driving assistance system.

“The grounds for relief that Tesla relies upon are nearly identical to those Tesla presented previously during the trial and in their summaries on summary judgment — arguments that have already been evaluated and dismissed,” stated Hon. Judge Beth Bloom’s ruling. “Moreover, Tesla fails to introduce new arguments or relevant law that convinces this Court to change its prior decisions or the jury’s verdict.”

In August of last year, a jury awarded a $243 million verdict against Tesla concerning its responsibility in a 2019 fatal incident in Florida that took the life of Naibel Benavides and critically injured Dillon Angulo. The jury placed two-thirds of the fault on the driver and one-third on Tesla. Importantly, punitive damages were exclusively assessed against Tesla.

Tesla’s legal team contended, in their request to overturn the ruling, that the responsibility lay with the driver, who contributed to the occurrence of the crash.

Threads has surpassed 400 million monthly users, but Meta aims to increase that figure further. With a newly released Threads feature this week, the company is simplifying the process for Threads users to share posts on the app to their Instagram Stories — a strategy that could leverage Instagram’s wider audience to attract more users to Meta’s competitor to X.

On Thursday, the company introduced a new feature allowing you to share a Threads post to your Instagram Story without exiting the Threads app, giving a preview of how the post would appear on your Story directly within the Threads environment.

Previously, the app permitted users to share anyone’s Threads post to their Instagram Story in a manner akin to resharing an Instagram post. It already provided tools for sharing posts to your Instagram Feed or Direct Messages.

Meta’s text-centric app, Threads, debuted in July 2023 and leveraged its connection with Instagram to swiftly grow its initial user base. Users needed to authenticate using their Instagram credentials, which allowed Threads to fill in details like username, bio, photo, verification status, and followers.

With a single tap, users could instantly follow the accounts they were already following on Instagram — while those not yet on Threads would receive a notification that they had been added.

In the subsequent months and years, Meta has relied on its other, larger social networks to keep expanding Threads, including featuring popular Threads posts on Facebook and incorporating a similar carousel of Threads posts for Instagram users. The company also simplified the process for users to cross-post from Instagram and Facebook to Threads, which aided in increasing adoption.

These strategies have proven successful. Data from the market intelligence provider Similarweb indicated last month that Threads is now experiencing more daily usage than Elon Musk’s X on mobile devices. (X still leads on the web, though.) Threads’ overall user numbers have been consistently increasing, with usage doubling from 200 million monthly active users in August 2024 to 400 million monthly users as of August 2025. The company revealed in October that Threads had reached 150 million daily active users as well.