After much anticipation, Clubhouse has begun testing an Android version of its app. An iOS version of the drop-in audio chat app has been available for over a year now, albeit in beta and requiring an invite from an existing user. Now, Android users will finally be able to get involved in the party — but there'll be a little wait yet and likely some hoops to jump through.

Clubhouse founders Paul Davison and Rohan Seth have said that their initial intention had been to "collect feedback, quietly iterate, and avoid making noise until we felt the product was ready for everyone." However, explosive growth in popularity — first from within the tech community and driven by people seeking to connect with others from during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as by appearances on the platform from the likes of Bill Gates — put paid to the plan for gradual, organic development. By March of 2021, the app was reported to have been downloaded around 13 million times and, just last month, it secured Series C funding that is believed to value it at $4 billion. That's a lofty valuation to live up to for a service that is still in beta, but getting an Android version of the app rolled out is an important step towards doing so.

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That process is now underway, with new Clubhouse release notes stating that "a rough beta version" of the Android app is now in use by a "handful of friendly testers." The Android app is not yet available for public download — or even yet in public beta — but the release notes teased a wider roll-out by saying: "We cannot wait to welcome more Android users to Clubhouse over the coming weeks." Among the other updates the notes mention are improved systems for discovery, notification quality, and abuse prevention, better VoiceOver accessibility support, and more prompts for following clubs that are hosting rooms.

How To Get The Clubhouse Android App

Clubhouse app on Android phone held by Android robot with Clubhouse logo head

For Android users that are champing at the bit to get involved, this news may simply sound like more waiting around. However, the fact that testing has begun on it means that the starting gun for Clubhouse on Android has been fired. Although Clubhouse has said it will be adding more Android uses in the coming weeks, it's unlikely that prospective users will simply be able to download the app and get started. There are some things that can be done to minimize waiting time, though.

Keep an eye on the release notes page and Clubhouse's blog. These are where any updates are posted and readers will likely be among the first to know when the app enters public beta. When that's the case, based on Clubhouse's approach with iOS, it may be possible to download the app but an invite to start using it will probably be required. The best bet for finding one is via the invites thread on the Clubhouse subreddit, searching for invites on Twitter, or scouting around elsewhere on social media. With a bit of luck, it won't be long before both the iOS and Android apps are more widely available.

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Source: Clubhouse