X's Android Downloads Plunge Despite iOS Growth

Appfigures Data: Android Installs Collapse, iOS Holds Steady

New figures from app intelligence firm Appfigures show a stark split in X’s mobile performance: Google Play installs dropped 44% year-over-year in July 2025 while iOS downloads grew by 15%. That divergence dragged X’s total mobile downloads down 26% year-over-year as of July, an improvement only from a steeper 35% decline the month before.

Industry observers point to a familiar issue: X’s Android app is widely regarded as buggy and crash-prone. The company has acknowledged problems indirectly by hiring Nikita Bier, who recently announced recruiting for an “Android Dream Team” to rebuild the experience. Bier also highlighted a record week on iOS installs, underscoring the platform gap.

Where are Android users going? The data don’t show a single clear winner. Bluesky’s Google Play traction remains modest, while Meta’s Threads has closed the DAU gap on mobile. Separately, Grok—now available as a standalone app—may be luring paying subscribers who originally purchased X subscriptions for AI features.

Monetization trends reflect these usage shifts. Appfigures reports X earned $16.9 million in net in-app revenue in July, down from $18.8 million in March 2025 and roughly flat with June. Still, in-app subscriptions are a small slice; advertising remains the primary revenue engine, so declines in Android reach can meaningfully pressure ad impressions and long-term growth.

Why this matters for product and growth teams

An underperforming Android app is more than a store-ranking problem: it curtails reach in markets where Android dominates, fuels negative reviews that deter new installs, and increases churn among active users. For developers and leaders, the immediate questions are operational (crash fixes, QA, release cadence) and strategic (where to invest to regain users and revenue).

• Audit crash telemetry and tie crash signals to retention and uninstall events.
• Prioritize an Android-first rebuild focusing on stability, performance budgets, and core user flows.
• Run staged rollouts with feature flags and synthetic tests to catch regressions before full release.
• Benchmark store ratings, install velocity and competitor installs to detect where users are migrating.
• Communicate transparently in release notes and in-app to rebuild user trust during a major rebuild.
• Re-evaluate subscription positioning if AI features are being consumed in third-party apps like Grok.

Turning store metrics into product decisions requires connecting dots across analytics, dev telemetry and competitive intelligence. That means not only fixing the most visible crashes but also measuring how each fix moves the needle on installs, ratings and ad impressions.

For organizations watching X’s trajectory, the lesson is practical: a platform can’t rely on one healthy OS while the other withers. Market share, monetization and perception shift quickly—especially when contenders like Threads and AI-first apps offer visible alternatives. The next quarter will show whether an Android rebuild and smarter retention tactics can stem the decline.