Meta's Muse hits No. 1 on US App Store with 900,000 downloads

Meta Platforms reached the top of the US iPhone free-app charts with its new assistant app, Muse. Reports placed first-week downloads near 900,000 after its launch just over two weeks ago. The tool can research, shop, fill forms, and manage calendars once users grant access to the relevant services.

The early adoption highlights Meta's distribution reach across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. If Muse becomes a habitual consumer interface, Meta could expand beyond selling advertising to directly mediating purchases, bookings, and other transactions.

The roll-out also faced questions regarding user privacy. Reports on September 20 raised concerns over how Muse handles and explains user data. Meta stated that Muse accesses information only when permissions are enabled, while acknowledging that the assistant incorrectly explained how it accessed data in one reported case.

At the August 31 settlement date, Meta had roughly 28.8 million shares sold short, representing about 1.3% of its public float, with fewer than two days to cover.