Sensor Tower verifies more than 83,000 U.S. iOS downloads by September 10, but the later near-Instagram daily-download claim remains unconfirmed and Meta has disclosed no active-user or retention figures.
Meta releases Muse without sharing active user numbers
The new assistant performs real-world tasks, but early downloads leave long-term consumer demand unproven.
The story continues
Amazon shuts door on Meta shopping helper
24 September 2026Online store blocks automated assistant after refusal to step aside
In a nutshell
Meta has rolled out an automated digital helper named Muse that can buy items and send messages on behalf of consumers, but early download interest has not yet translated into verified proof of daily use or reliable real-world safety.
Highlights
- Muse launched in the United States on September 8 across Apple, Android, web, and WhatsApp platforms.
- Sensor Tower estimated more than 83,000 United States iPhone downloads during the app's first two days on the market.
- Meta introduced a software bounty program offering security researchers up to $300,000 to identify system vulnerabilities.
- Sensor Tower recorded 4.3 million first-day downloads for Threads, demonstrating much larger initial traction than Muse's early tally.
From the Editor’s Diary
Initial app downloads measure curiosity rather than usefulness, and automated software will ultimately be judged by whether people trust it enough to keep using it.
Who's involved
Meta Platforms
The owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp that released the Muse assistant
goal → make automated software part of daily life while convincing consumers to trust it with private accounts and payments
Meta Superintelligence Labs
Meta's artificial intelligence division that built Muse and its protective software controls
goal → make the automated assistant reliable enough to handle personal errands without committing serious digital security errors
Sensor Tower
A market research firm that monitors smartphone app installations and store rankings
goal → calculate independent download estimates for consumer mobile programs across major app marketplaces
Sasha Kaletsky
An investor at venture firm Creator Ventures who shared early adoption claims online
goal → draw attention to what he described as unusually fast consumer adoption of the assistant
Stripe
The digital payments company providing Link, an electronic payment tool
goal → protect consumer financial accounts by supplying single-use digital payment cards for purchases made by the assistant
In short
Meta has launched an automated assistant that can book flights, send messages, and buy goods on behalf of users, taking artificial intelligence from answering questions to acting in the real world.
This release will test whether consumers are truly willing to hand their credit cards and personal accounts to autonomous software.
That outcome is too early to tell because early mobile downloads show initial curiosity, but Meta has not published how many people continue using the software after installing it.
Previously in this story
Meta Launches Muse Despite Internal Flaws
9 September 2026Meta has deployed its autonomous personal agent to U.S. adults even as employee tests showed privacy leaks and broken safeguards.
How it unfolded
Meta opens Muse to United States users
Meta released Muse on September 8, marking its first step into autonomous software that acts directly on personal accounts. TechCrunch first detailed the launch at 19:00 UTC, and Reuters confirmed the United States release four minutes later.
Meta introduces safeguards alongside known system risks
Because Muse handles private tasks, Meta designed strict digital controls, yet internal pre-launch tests revealed that the system still suffered unexpected errors and data leaks.
First download figures show steady early interest
Two days into the launch, third-party mobile data showed healthy iPhone interest, though the figures fell well short of records set by previous social media debuts.
Online claims outpace confirmed adoption figures
Social media commentary suggested explosive growth, but public records lacked the basic data needed to verify whether consumers were returning to the app.
Where things stand
The only verified public metric remains Sensor Tower's estimate of more than 83,000 United States iPhone downloads in the first two days. No full download count exists across Android, the web, or WhatsApp, and neither Meta nor third-party analytics firms have released daily active user numbers, subscription totals, or long-term retention rates.
On digital security, Meta has outlined structural barriers, transaction sign-offs, and a $300,000 bug reward, but it has not shared post-launch accident rates or real-world attack records. Proving genuine success will require public reporting on daily active users and confirmed security performance.