New audio-only chat app Clubhouse has blown up in popularity, but like any popular club, you need an invite to get off the waitlist. And unfortunately for Android phone owners, they've had to wait outside while millions of iPhone users cut the line.
Accessible on iOS only (for now), Clubhouse made a big initial splash as celebrities like Oprah, Elon Musk and Tiffany Haddish flocked to its audio chatrooms, where users could ask them questions directly. The app also lets users moderate their own discussions and invite other members for interviews.
Android users have waited a long time for their turn, and that patience will hopefully be rewarded soon. Here's when you can expect Clubhouse for Android to arrive.
- Our choices for the best Android phones that'll eventually have Clubhouse
- Plus the best Android apps of 2021 that you won't have to wait for
When is Clubhouse coming to Android?
We learned on May 4 that Clubhouse devs had begun a 'rough beta version' of the app on Android, only distributing the version to a 'handful of friendly testers'.
According to a recent blog post, parent company Notion plans to 'welcome more Android users to Clubhouse over the coming weeks'. So it's possible that an open beta will arrive in early summer after this initial beta ends.
As for the final Android release date, we don't have a hard date. But based on the timeline of the app's progress, we can make a reasonable estimate.
In its January 2021 blog, Clubhouse announced that it would 'begin work on our Android app soon.' Then CNBC reported in late February that Clubhouse had hired Android developer Mopewa Ogundipe – who tweeted that she was there to 'bring the party to Android' – to kickstart the process.
A month later, Clubhouse co-founder Paul Davison said in a March Townhall meeting that the team was working 'really hard' on the Android app, but that it would take 'a couple of months' for it to arrive (via TechCrunch)
That gave us an ETA of late May or later. Given that the app only entered a rough beta in early May, that estimate may have been optimistic. Mid-summer (June or July 2021) seems more likely at this point. Once we have a firmer release date, we'll update this page.
One other important point: there are several fake Clubhouse apps on the Google Play Store, plus Android malware disguised as Clubhouse invites making the rounds. Until Clubhouse officially announces its Android port, don't use any of these fakes or tap on any suspicious links. They're not workarounds; they're traps.
Clubhouse Android alternatives
It's fair to say that Android users won't want to wait until July (or buy an iPhone 12) to access Clubhouse. But if you just want audio-only chatrooms with friends or famous people, other popular Android apps have started to add the feature.
Twitter Spaces is the first of these. It lets Twitter users create voice chat rooms and invite followers to chat on various topics. As of early May, any Twitter user with more than 600 followers can create their own audio chatroom for followers, including the option to charge people to join. Spaces is missing Clubhouse features like co-hosting and scheduling, however.
Your other Android alternative is Discord, which launched its new live audio rooms on March 31. Discord lets anyone and everyone talk in voice chat, but now Community servers can create Stage Channels where only certain members have permission to talk and everyone else is listen-only by default.
As for future competitors, Facebook is building a Clubhouse rival according to the New York Times; TechCrunch confirmed that LinkedIn is building a tool for audio networking; and Spotify acquired sports audio app Locker Room in order to repurpose its tech and let musicians and podcasters 'connect with audiences in real time.'
We don't know when these new Clubhouse rivals will arrive, but they could give Android users some exciting alternatives for chatting with famous people or strangers who share their hobbies.
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