Meta’s new artificial intelligence assistant has reached 10.9 million downloads worldwide since its September launch, including 10.2 million in the United States. The rapid growth puts Muse among a small group of mobile apps that have reached the 10-million-download milestone within their first 40 days.
Meta’s newest AI assistant, Muse, is gaining users at a remarkable pace, surpassing 10 million downloads in the United States within just 40 days of its launch on September 8, according to estimates from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.
The app recorded approximately 10.9 million downloads worldwide, including 10.2 million in the U.S., making it one of only 12 mobile applications to reach that level of adoption so quickly.
Kara Lee, a senior insights analyst at Sensor Tower, said only 11 other applications had achieved the same milestone. The most recent was Threads, another Meta-owned platform, which reached the threshold in July 2023. Other apps on the list include popular mobile games such as Fortnite, PUBG Mobile and Pokémon GO, while Disney+ is the only other non-gaming platform besides Threads to have reached the milestone.
Meta’s Massive Audience Helps Drive Growth
Muse’s rapid adoption is partly linked to Meta’s ability to promote new products through its established platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
The company’s family of applications reaches approximately 3.6 billion daily active users, giving Meta a substantial audience for introducing new services.
However, cross-platform promotion is not the only factor behind Muse’s growth. Meta has also significantly increased its traditional advertising investment.
According to Sensor Tower, Meta allocated 39% of its total advertising spending in October to promoting Muse, up from 23% in September. The app climbed to 21st place among U.S. brands ranked by advertising impressions this month, compared with 73rd place in September.
The figures suggest that Meta is combining its enormous social media reach with a substantial advertising campaign to establish Muse in the competitive AI market.
Muse Retains More Users Than Its AI Rivals
Beyond downloads, early data indicate that Muse is retaining users at a higher rate than several competing AI applications.
Sensor Tower estimates that Muse retained 30% of its U.S. users seven days after installation and 23% after 14 days. Competing AI applications, including ChatGPT, Claude and Grok, recorded average retention rates of 19% after seven days and 16% after two weeks.
Daily active users also increased. On October 16, Muse reached 2.5 million daily active users for the first time, representing a 15% increase compared with the previous week.
Muse has also maintained a strong position in app stores. It held the No. 1 position on the U.S. Apple App Store on every day since launch except October 19, when streaming platform Kick briefly overtook it. It subsequently reclaimed the top spot, while also ranking first on Google Play over the preceding 30 days.
How Does Muse Compare With ChatGPT, Claude and Grok?
Muse’s early download numbers have exceeded those recorded by several established AI applications during their respective launches.
Sensor Tower estimates show that ChatGPT accumulated approximately 3.7 million U.S. downloads during its first 40 days. Grok recorded around 500,000, while Claude reached approximately 200,000 during the same period after their respective launches.
Globally, however, ChatGPT performed better, reaching approximately 15 million downloads in its first 40 days.
The comparison has an important limitation: Muse is currently available only in the United States and Canada, while ChatGPT was accessible in additional markets, including Japan, Brazil and Germany. Japan alone accounted for approximately 25% of ChatGPT’s global installations during its first 40 days.
Muse’s performance therefore demonstrates particularly strong adoption in its available markets, although its eventual global reach remains to be seen.
Meta Expands Its AI Ambitions
Muse was introduced on September 8 as a personal AI agent designed to do more than answer questions. It can assist users with tasks such as managing schedules, organizing projects, drafting communications and planning travel, subject to the permissions users grant it.
The product forms part of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader strategy to expand the company’s artificial intelligence capabilities and reduce its dependence on advertising as its principal source of revenue.
The launch also comes amid intensifying competition between major technology companies seeking to make AI assistants part of everyday life.
For Meta, the challenge will be converting rapid initial adoption into sustained engagement and, eventually, a viable business model.
For now, the early figures offer a strong sign of public interest. With millions of people downloading Muse and retention rates exceeding those of several competitors, Meta has established a significant early presence in the increasingly competitive AI assistant market.
