Meta lost 20 million users last quarter

The Verge / 4/30/2026

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Key Points

  • Meta reported that its “Family daily active people” metric—covering Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger users—fell by 20 million in the latest quarter versus the prior three months.
  • Meta attributed the decline to internet disruptions in Iran and restrictions on WhatsApp access in Russia.
  • Despite the user drop, Meta said it plans to increase AI investment spending by billions this year.
  • The article notes that combining user statistics across multiple apps may make it harder to fully accept Meta’s explanation at face value.
  • The situation highlights the tension between rising AI spending and underlying engagement/user retention trends across Meta’s platforms.
Vector illustration of the Meta logo.

Meta is planning to pump billions more into AI investments this year, despite noting that millions of users have seemingly started to abandon its platforms. In an earning call on Wednesday, Meta reported that figures for "Family daily active people" - the term Meta has coined for all collective users of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Messenger - declined by 20 million this quarter compared to the previous three months.

Meta attributes this fall to "internet disruptions in Iran, as well as a restriction on access to WhatsApp in Russia." It's up to you whether you take Meta on its word, given that by bundling the user stats together across …

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