Clubhouse Android app launching worldwide this week — but competition is fierce

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Clubhouse on Android is going global this week

Clubhouse
(Image credit: Snappa)

Audio-only chat app Clubhouse is set to be available to all smartphone users this week, after recently rolling out its highly sought-after Android app in a limited capacity.

Now, the social network will be available to Android users around the globe as of Friday, May 21, although some countries will be able to download Clubhouse a little sooner — providing they have an invite. 

According to a tweet, the Android app will be available in Japan, Brazil, and Russia on Tuesday, May 18, while all smartphone users in Nigeria and India will be able to download the app during the early hours of Friday.

While Clubhouse has finally taken the extra step over to Android after a year of iPhone exclusivity, the app is still in development. According to the company's FAQ page, there are a number of features missing from the Android app.

This includes topic following, localization and in-app translations, Club creation or club management, Twitter account or Instagram account linking, Clubhouse payments, and more. That said, with the app rolling out globally, these features are expected to be included soon.

Even if everyone can download it, Clubhouse is still invite only. Users will still need an existing member to send an invite in order for them to set up an account. Clubhouse has stated its app is still in beta and plans to ditch the invite-only system sometime in 2021.

Clubhouse's competition continues to build, with Facebook's Live Audio Rooms and web-based Q&A platform Hotline. along with Twitter's Spaces and now Discord’s new Stage Channels.

Clubhouse has recently seen a drop in downloads from 10 million as of February 2021 to 922,000 downloads around the world in April. Only time will tell if the audio platform's hype will rise again now that it's available for Android. 

Darragh Murphy
Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.