The popular, invite-only audio app Clubhouse has been hosting conversations for more than a year that Android users haven’t been able to access—but that appears to be changing soon. 

Key Takeaways

  • Clubhouse has started beta testing its Android app with select users, but has not released a launch date yet.Meanwhile, Twitter has significantly expanded access to its Spaces audio chat rooms for iOS and Android.A digital marketing expert said Android users are anticipating the launch of Clubhouse for their devices.

Clubhouse recently unveiled that it has started beta testing for Android, which means the app is one step closer to being available to those without Apple devices.

The timeline has left some questioning whether Clubhouse is too late to its own party for broader adoption, considering the recent launch of Twitter’s new audio chat rooms called Spaces and other platforms offering their own spin on the format to Android users. Yet some experts believe that Clubhouse’s expansion to Android is still going to be a big deal despite the burgeoning competition.

“Although rivals like Twitter Spaces rolled out ahead of time [for Android], Clubhouse built a loyal community and culture that will stand out amongst its competitors,” digital marketing strategist Laurie Wang told Lifewire in an email.

“A lot of Android users are anticipating the release, and it will actually reignite the energy amongst the existing users when the flurry of Android users join the app.” 

Wait, Is Clubhouse on Android Yet? 

So, how do you download Clubhouse for Android? The official app still isn’t available to most Android users yet, but those plans are in the works.

“Android is not yet live, but we started rolling a rough beta version out to a handful of friendly testers,” Clubhouse said in its recent release notes. It added that it “cannot wait to welcome more Android users to Clubhouse over the coming weeks.”

Although rivals like Twitter Spaces rolled out ahead of time [for Android], Clubhouse built a loyal community and culture that will stand out amongst its competitors.

So while the Clubhouse Android app recently reached an important development milestone, we are still waiting to hear about a firm release date. 

Competitors Closing in on Clubhouse

As Clubhouse continues to tweak its official Android version, other social media sites have been busy using its format as inspiration to develop their own audio-based chat rooms for their users, regardless of the type of mobile device they’re using. 

Many Android users can try out a new audio chat room experience right now—on Twitter.  On May 3, the social media platform officially opened up its Spaces audio chat rooms to users with at least 600 followers.

While it still isn’t possible for everyone to create a Space, this expansion means the feature is now reaching significantly more people via both iOS and Android.

“Based on what we’ve learned so far, these accounts are likely to have a good experience hosting live conversations because of their existing audience,” wrote Twitter in the blog post announcing Spaces.

“Before bringing the ability to create a Space to everyone, we’re focused on learning more, making it easier to discover Spaces, and helping people enjoy them with a great audience.”

Twitter Spaces will notify you when your followers create spaces or are speaking in them. This allows you to listen in during the event by default, but you also can ask to speak.

Meanwhile, Facebook recently announced plans to start testing its Live Audio Rooms in groups and via certain public figures before rolling it out to everyone this summer. 

Why Android Is an Important Market

Clubhouse has gained a lot of attention for being more exclusive than other apps, both because you need an invite and an iOS device to use it. However, the company behind the app has been talking for the past few months about expanding its reach to more people—and Android is a key part of that strategy. 

Android has the majority of the market share for smartphones. Therefore, there is a massive opportunity for marketers, businesses, and influencers to promote their products and ideas on Clubhouse and build communities there, Wang said.

A lot of Android users are anticipating the release, and it will actually reignite the energy amongst the existing users when the flurry of Android users join the app.

“This is a highly anticipated release, so we should see Clubhouse’s Android debut bring in many incredible creators who have not yet joined the platform to bring their existing audience to the app,” Wang said. 

While the exclusive nature of Clubhouse has fueled intrigue around the app, Wang doesn’t see the Android expansion negatively affecting its success.

“I believe that the launch strategy of Clubhouse definitely contributed to its success in growing early adopters. However, having Clubhouse being released on Android will now bring the mass adoption that is needed for the next stage of this app’s success and growth.”

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