Meta AI app surges to No. 5 on U.S. App Store after Muse Spark launch

Meta’s AI app leapt to No. 5 on the U.S. App Store on Thursday, a dramatic climb from its position at No. 57 just a day earlier. The surge follows the launch of Muse Spark, the first model released under Alexandr Wang, head of Meta’s Superintelligence Labs. Wang, a former Scale AI executive, took over the lab last year to revamp the social‑media giant’s artificial‑intelligence strategy.

According to Appfigures, the jump to the top‑five spot reflects a flood of new installs. Sensor Tower estimates that the app recorded roughly 46,000 U.S. iOS downloads on April 8, an 87% increase from the previous day. Android downloads rose a more modest 3% in the same period. The data points to strong consumer interest in the upgraded offering.

Muse Spark brings multimodal input to the platform, allowing users to interact via voice, text, or images. Meta markets the model as a step up from its earlier Llama 4 series, touting capabilities that span health‑related queries, scientific reasoning, and visual coding. Users can prompt the system to generate website layouts or simple games, and the app can deploy multiple sub‑agents to handle complex conversations.

Beyond the mobile app, Meta plans to roll Muse Spark out to its broader ecosystem, including WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and upcoming AI‑enabled glasses. The rollout will begin in the coming weeks, extending the model’s reach beyond its current web and app presence.

Despite the recent climb, Meta’s AI app still trails industry leaders. OpenAI’s ChatGPT holds the top spot, followed by Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Wang noted on X that the No. 5 ranking is “still growing,” underscoring the company’s ambition to close the gap.

Appfigures reports that Meta AI has been installed 60.5 million times worldwide across iOS and Android, with 25 million of those installs occurring in 2026 alone. Over the past five months, download volume has risen 138% compared with the first five months of the app’s availability. India leads the download tally, followed by the United States, Brazil, Pakistan, and Mexico.

Web traffic mirrors the app’s momentum. Sensor Tower data shows U.S. daily visitors to the Meta AI website spiked more than 450% day‑over‑day on April 8, reaching an all‑time high with a 570% increase over the prior 30‑day average. The spike suggests heightened curiosity about the new model’s capabilities.

Meta’s investment in AI talent and infrastructure has been costly. The company has spent billions recruiting experts and poured $14.3 billion into Scale AI, the firm from which Wang was hired. Muse Spark represents the latest effort to translate that spending into consumer‑facing products that can compete with rivals.

Analysts see the rapid ascent as a sign that Meta’s AI push is gaining traction, though they caution that sustained growth will depend on how quickly the company can broaden Muse Spark’s integration and differentiate its features from competitors. For now, the surge to No. 5 provides a clear signal that Meta’s AI ambitions are resonating with users.