Meta’s AI app jumped to No. 5 on the U.S. App Store following the Wednesday launch of Muse Spark, Meta’s newest AI model. According to Appfigures data cited by TechCrunch, Meta AI rose from No. 57 right before the launch to No. 5 on Thursday, indicating a surge in new installs.
Launch metrics and download data
The launch drove measurable download increases across platforms. Sensor Tower estimated Meta AI saw around 46,000 U.S. iOS downloads on April 8, 2026, up 87% day-over-day. On Android, U.S. downloads increased 3% day-over-day. Additionally, Sensor Tower reported that U.S. web visitors for Meta AI rose by more than 450% day-over-day, reaching an all-time high on April 8, 2026, with a more than 570% increase versus the average from the previous 30 days.
Muse Spark: capabilities and design
Muse Spark is Meta’s newest AI model and the first model release under Alexandr Wang, who leads Meta’s Superintelligence Labs. Wang was recruited from Scale AI last year to overhaul Meta’s AI efforts.
Meta describes Muse Spark as a significant upgrade over earlier Llama 4 models. The model is available on both the web and mobile and accepts multimodal input, including voice, text, and images. According to TechCrunch, Meta designed Muse Spark to perform well on tasks such as helping users learn about health and reasoning through complex questions in science and math.
The model also supports visual coding, allowing users to create websites and mini-games from prompts. Meta says the model can launch multiple subagents to handle users’ questions.
Broader rollout and platform expansion
Muse Spark will roll out to other platforms in the weeks ahead, including WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and Meta’s AI glasses. Alongside the model launch, Meta updated the Meta AI mobile app and website with a new design and now allows users to switch between modes depending on the task.
Competitive context
Despite the recent growth, Meta AI’s app still lags behind leading competitors. OpenAI’s ChatGPT ranks at No. 1, Anthropic’s Claude at No. 2, and Google’s Gemini at No. 3 on the App Store. The Muse Spark launch did not move Meta AI into the top three positions.
Meta’s effort to catch up with rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic has already cost billions in recruiting AI talent, including a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI.
Source: TechCrunch