The public feud between Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump may have divided the MAGA movement, but it turned out to be a major win for X (formerly Twitter), which saw a significant surge in engagement and downloads. According to data from Sensor Tower, the app climbed to #23 on the U.S. App Store on June 5—a dramatic jump from its #68 average ranking over the past 30 days.
Over the last six months, X had maintained an average ranking of #58, but the recent clash between the two high-profile figures appears to have reignited interest in the platform. This uptick is likely due to increased installs and user activity.
X Also Gains Ground on Google Play
The boost wasn’t limited to iOS—X also rose in the U.S. Google Play rankings, climbing roughly 20 spots compared to the previous week’s average and 16 positions over the last 30 days.
Sensor Tower estimates that the 6% increase in U.S. mobile active users on June 5 was driven by the Trump-Musk dispute, which sparked widespread online debate. The impact was even more pronounced during peak hours: between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET, active users spiked 54% compared to the prior week.
Truth Social Also Benefits, But Remains Far Smaller
Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, also saw a surge in activity. According to Sensor Tower, U.S. mobile active users skyrocketed over 400% compared to the previous seven days after the former president shared his criticisms of Musk with his followers.
However, X still dominates in scale, boasting 100 times more U.S. mobile users than Truth Social. Both platforms hit their highest mobile active user counts in 90 days during that same peak timeframe.
X Continues Its Climb in the Rankings
By the time of reporting, X had risen to #19 in the overall U.S. iPhone free apps ranking, while Truth Social held steady at #14 in the social networking category but remained outside the top 150 in the general rankings.
This episode once again proves how controversies between influential figures can drive major engagement for digital platforms.
By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director