Meta AI app jumps to No. 5 on App Store following Muse Spark launch

Meta's AI app jumped from No. 57 to No. 5 on the U.S. App Store within 24 hours of Wednesday's launch of Muse Spark, its new multimodal AI model, according to data from Appfigures.

The surge reflects significant consumer demand for the model, which marks the first major release under Alexandr Wang, Meta's head of Superintelligence Labs who was recruited from Scale AI last year to overhaul the company's AI efforts.

Muse Spark Capabilities

Muse Spark accepts multimodal input including voice, text, and images. The model is designed for multiple use cases: health learning, complex reasoning in science and math, visual coding (enabling users to create websites and mini-games from prompts), and multi-agent task handling.

Meta claims Muse Spark is a significant upgrade over its earlier Llama 4 models. The model will roll out to WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and Meta's AI glasses in the coming weeks.

Alongside the model launch, Meta updated its AI app and website with a new interface allowing users to switch between modes based on their task.

Market Position

Despite the rapid climb, Meta AI still trails competitors: OpenAI's ChatGPT (No. 1), Anthropic's Claude (No. 2), and Google's Gemini (No. 3) remain ahead in App Store rankings.

Appfigures data shows Meta AI has accumulated 60.5 million total installs across the App Store and Google Play, with 25 million downloads occurring in 2026 alone. Over the past five months, downloads increased 138% compared to the app's first five months.

India is now Meta's largest market by downloads, followed by the U.S., Brazil, Pakistan, and Mexico.

Strategic Context

Meta's push into competitive AI models has already cost the company billions in talent recruitment and a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI. Wang acknowledged the climb in an X post Thursday, noting the app "is still growing."

Muse Spark represents Meta's latest effort to compete with OpenAI and Anthropic in the consumer AI market.

What This Means

Meta's rapid App Store ascent demonstrates consumer appetite for new AI models, though sustained momentum depends on whether Muse Spark delivers measurable advantages over established competitors. The model's positioning across Meta's ecosystem—messaging apps, social platforms, and hardware—gives it distribution advantages competitors lack. However, Meta remains significantly behind OpenAI and Anthropic in consumer preference, suggesting the gap involves more than just model availability.