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NewsMaterial3 min readDisconfirmAI Editorial

Meta's AI Assistant Muse Hits 10M US Downloads in 40 Days, Outpacing Competitors in Retention

Meta's AI assistant Muse has achieved strong performance in the US market, surpassing 10 million downloads within 40 days with a 30% 7-day retention rate, higher than competitors like ChatGPT. Its growth is primarily driven by Meta allocating nearly 40% of its ad budget to promotion, signaling aggressive investment in capturing consumer AI entry points.

2026-10-21 15:21 GMT+8

According to reports compiled by Zhidongxi from CNBC and other US media, Meta's AI assistant Muse has seen rapid user growth since its launch on September 8, 2026. Data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower shows that as of October 21, Muse had reached 10.9 million global downloads, with 10.2 million coming from the US market. This makes Muse one of the few mobile apps to exceed 10 million US downloads within 40 days of release, a milestone previously achieved by only 11 other apps, including Threads.

Compared to major competitors, Muse's early performance in the US market is significantly stronger. Sensor Tower noted that ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude recorded 3.7 million, 500,000, and 200,000 US downloads respectively during their first 40 days. Although ChatGPT still leads globally with approximately 15 million downloads over the same period, it is important to note that Muse is currently available only in the US and Canada, while ChatGPT covers markets like Japan and Brazil. Additionally, ChatGPT's US downloads dropped by 25% in the past 30 days compared to the previous cycle, highlighting a shift in momentum between the two in the US market.

Beyond downloads, Muse also demonstrates strong user stickiness. Data indicates that Muse's 7-day retention rate in the US is 30%, and its 14-day retention rate is 23%, both exceeding the average levels of competitors such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok (19% for 7-day and 16% for 14-day). On October 16, Muse's daily active users (DAU) reached 2.5 million for the first time, with a 15% week-over-week increase in DAU over the past seven days. Since its launch, Muse has consistently held the number one spot on the US App Store free charts.

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Muse's rapid rise is directly linked to Meta's powerful promotional capabilities. Sensor Tower data reveals that Meta allocated 39% of its total ad spend to promoting Muse in October, up from 23% in September. This intense advertising push caused Muse to jump from rank 73 to rank 21 in US brand ad exposure rankings between September and October. Meta leveraged its social product ecosystem, including Facebook and Instagram, to drive traffic to Muse, concentrating resources to bring it to mass-market attention.

Wall Street remains optimistic about Muse's future revenue potential. Deutsche Bank analyst Benjamin Black projects that by 2030, Muse could contribute 8% of Meta's revenue, equivalent to approximately $36 billion; even under conservative forecasts, it could generate $2.4 billion in sales. Black argues that Meta possesses unique advantages in combining mobile ecosystems, seamless interfaces, and free features. However, whether the initial high retention stems from novelty and ad-driven acquisition or reflects long-term utility remains to be seen once promotional intensity subsides.

Sources

  • zhidx.com↗
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