Meta’s new AI assistant Muse is already attracting attention from U.S. consumers, reaching the No. 2 position on Apple’s App Store Top Charts just days after its launch.
Early figures from market intelligence company Sensor Tower indicate that Muse has surpassed 83,000 downloads on iPhone in the United States. The app is currently available only in the U.S., with its Android, web, and WhatsApp versions not included in those download estimates.
While Muse has made a strong early showing, its debut is smaller than some of Meta’s previous app launches. Threads, for example, generated more than 4.3 million U.S. downloads on its first day. The standalone Meta AI app also performed better initially, recording roughly 108,000 downloads during its debut.
Muse is also starting behind ChatGPT’s early U.S. performance. The OpenAI chatbot passed 500,000 U.S. installs within its first several days on Apple’s App Store, although it was initially available in only one market.
That comparison doesn’t necessarily suggest that Muse is struggling. The app has continued moving upward since launch, climbing from fourth place to second on the U.S. App Store. Its performance on Android has been considerably weaker so far, where it sits around No. 338 in the Productivity category. Google Play download figures have not yet been released.
Meta’s bigger bet on AI agents
Muse represents a significant part of Meta’s strategy to move beyond conventional chatbots and into agentic AI — systems that can perform tasks for users instead of simply answering questions.
Meta isn’t alone in pursuing this direction. Google is developing Gemini-based agents, while Anthropic is expanding Claude’s ability to perform work on behalf of users. Other startups are taking a similar approach, including Instinct, which operates primarily through text messaging.
Instinct has recently expanded its capabilities with integrations for services such as Stripe and 1Password, location sharing, dedicated email addresses, and communication between users’ AI agents. Those developments could make the startup a particularly interesting competitor as consumers become more comfortable delegating tasks to AI.
Muse faces another challenge that has little to do with technology: consumer trust.
The assistant requires users to provide Meta with access to additional personal information, something that could make privacy a significant factor in its adoption. Meta’s long history of privacy controversies and recent legal battles over the impact of its social platforms on children may also influence how comfortable people are with giving the company greater access to their personal lives.
For now, Muse is still in its early days. Its climb to No. 2 suggests genuine consumer interest, but the more important test will be whether Meta can turn that initial curiosity into regular usage and long-term trust as competition in AI agents intensifies.
