SurveyAll sizesUSA
70%
of US adults use Facebook
Sample: National Public Opinion Reference Survey: 5,511 US adults, online, mail or phone, 30 Jan-18 Jun 2026; margin of error +/-1.8 points
Pew Research Center, 2026
SurveyUpdated 23 Oct 2026
84%of US adults use YouTube, the most used platform; Facebook 70%, Instagram 51%, TikTok 37%
YouTube. 84% of US adults say they use it, followed by Facebook (70%), Instagram (51%) and TikTok (37%), in Pew's 2026 survey of 5,511 adults.
Margin of error: +/-1.8 points (whole sample)
SurveyChecked at source, 23 Oct 2026All sizesUSASocial media and internet · Platforms
In plain words
What this number really says
YouTube and Facebook still reach most American adults. Instagram reaches about half, and TikTok a bit over a third.
84%
of US adults use YouTube
70%
use Facebook
37%
use TikTok
Why you can trust it. Survey by Pew Research Center: 5,511 US adults, 30 Jan to 18 Jun 2026, margin of error plus or minus 1.8 points.
Key terms
- Use a platform Pew asks if people 'ever use' each site or app. It does not measure daily use or time spent.
- Margin of error The likely range around a survey number. Here about 1.8 points either way for all adults.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2026
Before and now
How we got here
2024
85%YouTube use; TikTok 33%.
2025
84%YouTube use; TikTok 37%.
2026
84%YouTube use; TikTok 37%.
Compare
How 84% compares
This number
84%
USA 2026
LatestYouTube
84%
All US adults
most usedFacebook
70%
All US adults
-14 pts vs YouTubeTikTok
37%
All US adults
-47 pts vs YouTubeWho it is for
Who should use this number, and how
Small businesses
Choose where to post with real reach numbers, not hype.
YouTube and Facebook reach the most adults.
Marketers targeting young adults
Age gaps are large.
Instagram 79% and TikTok 65% among 18 to 29 year olds.
Who it affects
Who feels this number
The same 84% means something different for each group.
Adults 18 to 29
65%use TikTokPew 2026, by age.
Adults 65 and older
11%use TikTokPew 2026, by age.
Where it shows
Where this number has an impact
Match platform to age
Among adults 65 and older, 65% use YouTube and 59% Facebook, but only 11% TikTok. Pick channels by who your customers are.
Do not overrate TikTok
TikTok is big with the young, but 37% of all US adults use it, fewer than Instagram (51%).
The future
What this number says about what comes next
Forecasts below are made by others and linked to where they were published. Our own reading of the data is marked as ours.
Our reading, not a forecast
What the data suggests
- A stable top, a growing middle. YouTube and Facebook shares have barely moved since 2024 in Pew's current method. TikTok rose from 33% (2024) to 37% (2025) and held.
What to watch next
- Pew's next social media fact sheet update (roughly yearly)
The data
All the numbers in one table
As published by Pew Research Center, 2026. Standard errors are shown where the source gives them.
| Platform | US adults who use it, 2026 |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 84% |
| 70% | |
| 51% | |
| TikTok | 37% |
| 33% | |
| 31% | |
| Snapchat | 26% |
| 25% | |
| X (formerly Twitter) | 18% |
| Nextdoor | 18% |
| Truth Social | 4% |
Why some sites say TikTok is 31% or 33%
33% is Pew's 2024 figure. 31% is LinkedIn's 2026 share, sometimes misread from the same table. Pew's 2026 figure for TikTok is 37%, stated in its own text.
Pew changed survey modes in 2023 and again in 2024, so compare only 2024 to 2026 as a trend.
Method and use
How it was measured, and how to use it
How it was measured
- Publisher
- Pew Research Center
- Source type
- Survey: Sampled survey with a published method
- What it measures
- 84% of US adults use YouTube, the most used platform; Facebook 70%, Instagram 51%, TikTok 37%
- Data period
- 2026 (ends 18 Jun 2026)
- Published by the source
- 19 Oct 2026
- Who is counted
- National Public Opinion Reference Survey: 5,511 US adults, online, mail or phone, 30 Jan-18 Jun 2026; margin of error +/-1.8 points
- Margin of error
- +/-1.8 points (whole sample)
- In the source's words
Chart 'Which social media platforms are most popular', % of U.S. adults who say they ever use ..., row 6/18/2026: YouTube 84%, Facebook 70%, Instagram 51%, TikTok 37%, LinkedIn 31%, WhatsApp 33%, Snapchat 26%, Reddit 25%, X 18%
- Checked at source
- 23 Oct 2026: Read on pewresearch.org Social Media Fact Sheet ('Americans' Use of Social Media in 2026', 19 Oct 2026), chart data table row 6/18/2026; Pew's 19 Oct 2026 TikTok news short read repeats the same shares in text.
- Reuse
- Free to quote with credit. American Trends Panel, a probability panel of US adults.
- Next expected update
- Irregular (Pew Research Center, irregular)
- Original page
- www.pewresearch.org: Pew Research Center
- Data files
- CSV · JSON (stable links)
Full change log
No changes recorded yet. First checked at the source on 23 Oct 2026.
Cite this number
APA
Pew Research Center. (2026). 84% of US adults use YouTube, the most used platform; Facebook 70%, Instagram 51%, TikTok 37%. Via digitaltreed, https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/social-media/us-adults-use-youtube
MLA
"84% of US adults use YouTube, the most used platform; Facebook 70%, Instagram 51%, TikTok 37%." Pew Research Center, 2026. digitaltreed, https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/social-media/us-adults-use-youtube.
HTML link
<a href="https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/social-media/us-adults-use-youtube">84% of US adults use YouTube, the most used platform; Facebook 70%, Instagram 51%, TikTok 37%</a> (Pew Research Center, 2026)
Embed the chart
Keep the source link under the chart. The chart updates when the number does.
FAQ
Questions about this number
What is the most used social media platform in the US?
YouTube: 84% of US adults use it (Pew, 2026). Facebook is second at 70%.
What percent of Americans use TikTok?
37% of US adults use TikTok (Pew, 2026), and 65% of adults 18 to 29.
What percent of Americans use Instagram?
51% of US adults use Instagram, and 79% of adults 18 to 29 (Pew, 2026).
How many Americans use LinkedIn?
31% of US adults use LinkedIn (Pew, 2026).
How many Americans use X (Twitter)?
18% of US adults use X (Pew, 2026).
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Every number on this page was checked at its original source. Free to cite with a link to this page.