Twitter Spaces is finally escaping its exclusivity to iOS and coming to Android before Clubhouse. Twitter's group voice chatting platform has existed as an iOS-exclusive feature since its debut in December 2020, but after a few months of testing, the social media platform is ready to bring Twitter Spaces to more people. This is something Android users have been patiently waiting for throughout the start of this year.
Twitter Spaces was created in direct response to the rise of Clubhouse, giving people on the app a way to join public voice chats and listen in on all sorts of conversations. It's kind of like a live podcast with a real audience, with the person running a Twitter Space being able to give certain people permission to speak for themselves and actually join in on the conversation at hand. Especially in a world where everyone is still practicing social distancing and staying at home, tools like Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse have proven to be fantastic ways to stay connected with others.
Twitter recently made the announcement about Twitter Spaces coming to Android. There is one big catch to Twitter Spaces on Android right now, though, and it's that Android users are only able to join and talk in Spaces. There's currently no way to create a Space through the Android app, though Twitter says that's coming "soon." While it would certainly be great to have a more specific timeline as to when Android users can look forward to this changing, that's as specific as Twitter is being right now.
How To Use Twitter Spaces On Android
As for what the launch of Twitter Spaces on Android looks like, it's mostly the same experience that iOS users have had since December. Any ongoing Spaces from accounts someone is following are shown at the top of the Twitter app next to Fleets — indicated by a purple border and the profile icons of who's hosting the Space. Just tap to join a Twitter Space, sit back, and listen to what's going on. Users see a list of everyone else who's listening, along with an option to request that the host gives them access to become a speaker.
Even with the current create a Space limitation in mind, the Android launch is good news for Twitter users. Clubhouse has confirmed that it also has an Android app in development, but with the company yet to offer an ETA as to when it'll be released, this is a big win for Twitter to start capturing an audience on the world's most-used mobile operating system.