Muse, Meta’s artificial intelligence application, is experiencing significant momentum driven by aggressive promotion at the company’s recent annual developer conference and favorable early reception regarding its interface and underlying AI capabilities. Since its launch on September 8, the app has recorded over 3.4 million downloads, a substantial increase from the 2.5 million figure reported earlier in the week, according to estimates from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
Data from other tracking services presents a slightly broader range; Apptopia reports total downloads at 4.3 million, with 2.6 million attributed to iOS devices, while Appfigures estimates approximately 2.3 million installs split evenly between iOS and Android. These figures reflect data available through Thursday and may not yet capture the full impact of the product launches and feature updates announced during Meta Connect later in the week.
During the conference, Meta unveiled several enhancements for Muse, including video chat functionality with the AI avatar, support for computer use on Mac devices, a dedicated email address for users, expanded partner integrations, and future compatibility with smart glasses. Following the event, Sensor Tower noted a 27% surge in daily active users on Wednesday.
The app’s trajectory has been remarkably steep compared to industry benchmarks. Between September 8 and 17, Muse averaged a 55% day-over-day growth in downloads, outpacing ChatGPT’s 24% average growth during its first ten days. Notably, download growth for competitors Claude and Grok declined during their initial launch periods. By September 18, Muse had claimed the top spot on the U.S. App Store, maintaining that position thereafter, and reached number one on the Google Play Store by September 19.
While much of this traction is organic, Meta is leveraging its ecosystem to boost visibility, mirroring strategies used for Instagram Threads. However, Connor Hayes, Meta’s Head of Threads, indicated that the approach for Muse differs due to the utility-driven nature of the AI agent. Rather than relying solely on user-generated content, Meta is creating promotional units tailored to individual user needs based on its internal data.
Sensor Tower data reveals that Meta introduced house ads for Muse on September 9, just one day after launch. Within ten days, these internal promotions generated more impressions than those for Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp. Additionally, Meta has expanded advertising to third-party platforms including Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube. By September 22, Muse had ranked among the top ten brands by advertising expenditure.
Despite the significant marketing push, organic interest remains the primary driver. Ads accounted for only 6% of total ad impressions from launch through September 19, suggesting that the app’s utility and design are compelling enough to sustain growth independent of Meta’s promotional efforts.
Is anyone else surprised by the video chat with an AI avatar feature? That feels like it might be more gimmick than utility.
3.4 million downloads in ten days is wild, but I wonder how many people actually delete it after the novelty wears off.
It is impressive that Muse beat ChatGPT’s early growth rate. That kind of momentum is rare for any new AI app.