Meta has landed its new AI assistant app, Muse, in the No. 2 spot on the U.S. iOS App Store just a few days after its debut. The agent, built to handle tasks proactively, has amassed over 83,000 downloads so far, with its current availability restricted to the U.S. market. Despite that achievement, the launch pales in comparison to Meta’s previous app introductions and some of its competitors.
Launch benchmarks & comparisons
Muse’s 83,000 iOS downloads kicked off its climb up the charts, moving from No. 4 to No. 2 on the App Store in just one day. Yet, when looking back at Threads, Meta’s 2023 app, the contrast is striking: Threads pulled in more than 4.3 million downloads on its first day in the U.S. Meanwhile, Meta AI saw around 108,000 U.S. iOS downloads at launch. Muse, by that measure, is starting more modestly.
ChatGPT, another major AI app debut, also significantly outpaced Muse. Within its first week in the U.S., ChatGPT exceeded half a million installs—landing far above the pace Muse has achieved so far. If evenly distributed, ChatGPT’s average daily downloads at launch would nearly equal Muse’s total downloads to date.
Performance across platforms & positioning
Muse’s traction on iOS hasn’t translated to Android yet—its Google Play ranking lags behind, placing it at No. 338 in the Productivity category. Download figures from Android haven’t been confirmed. Additionally, Muse is accessible on the web and via WhatsApp, though those channels aren’t included in current download stats.
Meta is clearly betting on so-called “agentic AI”—systems that act for users to get things done—as a core direction for its consumer products. Muse represents one of the company’s biggest investments in this trend. It joins growing competition in the space, including offerings like Google’s Gemini Spark and Instinct, which has already garnered $2.5 billion in valuation and rolled out features like location-sharing, email addresses, and social-agent interactions.
Timing and perception
The timing of Muse’s launch may have worked against it. Meta rolled out the app just days after agreeing to an $18 billion multistate settlement tied to consumer harms. That follows years of legal and privacy controversies that have hurt Meta’s reputation. Such context may influence how consumers view a product that asks for increased access to personal data.
What it all means
Muse’s early performance reflects both promise and challenge. On one hand, it has broken into the top ranks of the U.S. App Store, signaling significant user interest in agentic AI. On the other, the tempered speed of its rise—particularly versus Meta’s own past launches and heavy competition—suggests the road ahead may require more work. Are users ready for agents asking for deeper permissions? Will Meta successfully translate App Store visibility into long-term engagement? The answers will shape the future of consumer AI, and Muse’s trajectory could offer early clues.
