X’s falling Android downloads drag subscription revenue despite iOS growth

X

Elon Musk’s X is facing a sharp decline in Android app installs, which is affecting its subscription revenue even as downloads on Apple’s App Store continue to grow. Data from app intelligence provider Appfigures shows that new installs on Google Play fell by 44 per cent year-over-year in July 2025, while iOS downloads increased by 15 per cent.

The slump in Android downloads has pulled down X’s overall average, resulting in a 26 per cent decrease in total mobile downloads compared with the same month last year. This is an improvement from June, when total downloads had dropped by 35 per cent, largely due to a 49 per cent year-over-year decline in Android installs.

Appfigures did not speculate on the precise reasons for the Android drop but noted that X’s Android app has long been a challenge for the company. The app is often buggy, prone to crashes, and widely seen as underperforming compared with its iOS counterpart. Nikita Bier, X’s newly appointed head of product, who has a history of growing teen-focused social apps such as Gas and TBH, has signalled that the company is addressing these issues.

Bier recently announced the formation of an “Android Dream Team” tasked with rebuilding the X Android app. Meanwhile, he highlighted that X’s iOS app had recorded a peak week for downloads, possibly to shift attention from the Android decline.

It remains unclear where former or potential X Android users are going. Rival Bluesky continues to experience slow growth, with just 119,000 Google Play downloads in July, far below the millions that X attracts each month. Meta’s Threads has been gaining traction on mobile, so some Android users may be migrating there, but exact numbers are uncertain.

The decline in Android downloads is mirrored in X’s subscription revenue. In July 2025, the platform earned $16.9 million in net subscription revenue, down from $18.8 million in March 2025, though slightly higher than the $16.8 million recorded in June. Despite this, the majority of X’s overall revenue still comes from advertising rather than in-app subscriptions.

Part of the revenue decline is also attributed to competition from Grok, which now offers a stand-alone app that draws users who previously purchased X subscriptions primarily for its AI features. As X works to rebuild its Android app, addressing crashes and performance issues will be crucial to recovering lost users and boosting subscription revenue.