Meta AI Launches “Vibes” AI Video Stream, Leading to Surge in App Downloads and Daily Users

Recent data reveals a significant surge in the usage of Meta AI's mobile applications for iOS and Android. According to the latest analysis by market intelligence provider Similarweb, as of October 17, the app's daily active users across both platforms have risen to 2.7 million, compared to approximately 775,000 just four weeks earlier. Additionally, the installation numbers of Meta AI's app are on the rise, with daily downloads reaching 300,000, up from less than 200,000 a few weeks prior.

In contrast, on October 17, 2024—exactly one year prior—the app was only seeing around 4,000 downloads per day.

The company stated that no notable correlation was found in searches or ad estimates, but noted that Meta might be promoting the app through Facebook or Instagram, which would not be captured in its model.

However, another possible explanation is that Meta launched a new Vibes video feed in September, introducing short-form AI-generated content to the Meta AI mobile app.

Meta AI rolled out the Vibes video feed on September 25, aligning with the sharp increase in daily active users on both iOS and Android platforms, as illustrated in the chart below.

Recently, OpenAI’s video generator Sora has attracted widespread attention, climbing to the top of the App Store as users rush to try the new technology. Nevertheless, Meta AI may also have benefited from this release. Although Similarweb notes that its data cannot establish a causal relationship, the attention generated by Sora may have prompted some users to try Meta AI for comparison purposes.

Another possibility is that Meta could be benefiting from Sora's invite-only status. In other words, users unable to access the OpenAI app might be seeking alternatives for experimentation. This is an intriguing possibility, as it suggests that OpenAI's restrictions on Sora could directly benefit its competitors.

As of October 17, Meta AI's app has seen a 15.58% increase in global daily active users, while ChatGPT, Grok, and Perplexity experienced declines of 3.51%, 7.35%, and 2.29%, respectively.