Less than two weeks after launch, Meta’s personal AI agent Muse climbed to first place in the U.S. App Store, overtaking ChatGPT, Claude and Grok. We break down what exactly happened and why it matters for the AI assistant market.
What Is Meta Muse
Muse is a personal AI agent from Meta, launched on September 8, 2026. Unlike ordinary chatbots that only answer questions, Muse is designed to perform tasks on behalf of the user: send emails, book travel, make purchases — after connecting to the relevant apps and personal accounts. The service runs on the Muse Spark family of models and is available in the U.S. on iOS, Android, WhatsApp and through a web version.
Muse is free for basic use, with paid plans priced at $20 and $100 per month.
How Fast Downloads Are Growing
On September 18, 10 days after launch, Muse became the No. 1 app in the free category of the U.S. iOS App Store, overtaking ChatGPT — according to analytics company Sensor Tower, the app recorded more than 730,000 downloads in roughly its first five days. As of Monday, September 21, total downloads had exceeded 2.5 million.
Over the same 13-day period after launch, Muse also surpassed Claude (400,000) and Grok (200,000) in cumulative downloads. ChatGPT received 3.1 million downloads over a comparable period — Sensor Tower notes that the apps launched on iOS and Google Play at different times, so a direct comparison of the figures is not entirely precise.
Why Amazon Restricted Muse Access
Amazon blocked the Muse bot from accessing its website, citing privacy and security concerns about third-party AI agents acting on behalf of shoppers. This is more of a warning about the broader risks of autonomous agents operating with access to users’ personal accounts than a dispute specifically between the two companies.
Market Reaction and Meta’s Next Plans
JPMorgan upgraded Meta shares from “Hold” to “Buy,” raising its price target from $640 to $820. Meta shares rose more than 8% to their highest level since February. On September 17, Mark Zuckerberg announced a Mac version of Muse.
Analysts warn against drawing premature conclusions: some AI apps, including OpenAI’s Sora and Meta’s own Vibes video feature, also showed sharp download spikes immediately after launch that later faded. Whether Muse can retain its audience over the long term remains to be seen.
In Brief: The Key Points
- September 8, 2026 — launch of Meta Muse, a personal AI agent based on Muse Spark
- September 18 — Muse became the No. 1 free iOS app in the U.S., overtaking ChatGPT
- More than 730,000 downloads in the first 5 days, more than 2.5 million in nearly two weeks
- Over a 13-day period, it surpassed Claude (400K) and Grok (200K) in cumulative downloads
- Amazon restricted Muse access to its website over privacy concerns
- Meta shares rose more than 8%, JPMorgan upgraded the stock with an $820 target
FAQ
What is Meta Muse? A personal AI agent from Meta that performs tasks on behalf of the user — sending emails, booking travel and making purchases — after being connected to personal accounts.
When did Muse overtake ChatGPT? On September 18, 2026, 10 days after its September 8 launch.
How much does Meta Muse cost? Basic use is free, while paid plans cost $20 and $100 per month.
Why did Amazon block Muse? Because of privacy and security concerns about third-party AI agents acting on behalf of shoppers on the site.
Do high download numbers mean Muse will permanently become more popular than ChatGPT? Not necessarily — analysts note that some AI apps showed a sharp spike in downloads immediately after launch that later faded.
The article was prepared by the TechVisor team — practical IT media for people.
