# Mastodon after the Twitter takeover

> Mastodon reported over 1 million new users after Musk bought Twitter.

- Owner: Mastodon gGmbH (developer); Eugen Rochko (founder)
- Kind: App & software
- Sector: Media & publishing
- Seed date: 2016-10-05
- Observed peak date: Week of Nov 11, 2022
- Date basis: Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum. Some dates are known only to the week, month or year.
- Spread Score: 38 (Niche), v1.3
- Mechanics: Pairing, Platform jump, Press loop, Maker origin, Controversy

## Summary

After Musk bought Twitter, users shared Mastodon handles and press explained the network. Wikipedia views peaked in the week ending November 11. Mastodon reported over a million new users by November 12. Active users later fell to about 1.8 million.

## Timeline

- 2016-10-05 — Eugen Rochko (@gargron) (Open web) — Rochko shared Mastodon with Hacker News users and linked his working profile.
- 2022-10-27 — Mastodon (X) — Mastodon welcomed people announcing new profiles on Twitter.
- 2022-10-28 — WIRED (Press) — WIRED reported that Twitter users were sharing Mastodon profiles as backup plans after Musk’s takeover.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/mcp#api).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/mastodon-twitter-exodus

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Mastodon after the Twitter takeover.” Case HIS-01702. Spread Score v1.3: 38/100. Updated 2026-10-25. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01702