HIT live audio app Clubhouse is now available on Android after more than a year of iPhone exclusivity.
The invitation-only service that’s a favourite of major celebs was yesterday made available in beta on Google’s mobile OS in the US, the company said.
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That means Android fans can sign up and participate in its audio-only chat rooms as part of beta tests that will expand to other countries in future.
The free app spiked in popularity early this year after celebrity billionaire Elon Musk and others appeared in audio chats.
It has sparked a number of copycats from start-ups and larger rivals including Facebook and Twitter.
Clubhouse had been available only to users of Apple devices and by invitation.
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In some markets such as China, invitations were so sought after some were auctioned on online marketplaces.
But downloads of the app, one measure of popularity, have significantly fallen.
After peaking in February with 9.6million downloads, that number fell to 2.7million in March and then 900,000 downloads in April, according to data analytics firm Sensor Tower.
The drop has sparked questions about its long term viability and whether its success was owed in part to people spending more time at home during the pandemic.
The long anticipated Android launch is expected to reach more new users globally.
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The Android version will reach other English-speaking markets and then the rest of the globe days and weeks after the US market beta launch.
Clubhouse, which created the category, now faces the likes of Facebook, whose CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in April a slew of audio products.
They include Clubhouse-style live audio rooms and a way for users to find and play podcasts.
In January, Twitter said that it will introduce a new feature to let users charge admission to their live audio chat rooms in its “Spaces” feature, as the company seeks to court more content creators.
It has been available to Android users since March.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
