Clubhouse Android app now available for download in India

The Android app’s listing on the Google Play Console confirms that users will still need a Clubhouse invite to sign up.
Clubhouse Android app is now available for download worldwide. The drop-in audio chat platform was previously available only on iOS for iPhone users. The app has been making a buzz due to users looking for invites to sign in and create or join a room for voice conversations.

Clubhouse confirmed the rollout of the Android app via its official Twitter account. The Android app’s listing on the Google Play Console confirms that users will still need a Clubhouse invite to sign up. You can get the invite by joining the waitlist or asking for one from an existing user.

https://twitter.com/Clubhouse/status/1395533533230284804
The iOS version of the app was launched in March 2020 and soon became very popular. However, the app’s downloads have significantly dropped in India since February 2021. According to Sensor Tower data, India currently has over 90,000 Clubhouse downloads in total in iOS. The number of downloads dropped from 42,000 in February to just 14,000 in April 2021.

The Android availability could give some boost and increase the user base by letting more users get on board. Users have been long asking for the Android version of Clubhouse. The company’s beta app took over a year to roll out on Android. To catch up with the trend, competitors have launched their version of Clubhouse within their apps.

Twitter, for example, recently made Spaces available for both iOS and Android users. Instant messaging app Telegram has already released Voice Chats 2.0 to let users conduct live voice chat sessions. Unlike Clubhouse, Telegram lets users record voice chats. It also has Clubhouse features like allowing other users in the room to raise their hand if they wish to speak, sharing the room invite links, etc.

Facebook is also beta testing an app called Hotline. Unlike Clubhouse, Hotline lets users turn on their camera for video. It also has an option wherein the host can take questions from listeners via text. The audience can also upvote to mark the questions they want the answers to. Hotline events can be recorded. At the end of the session, the host will receive two recordings – one in mp3, the other in mp4 format – which they can upload on other platforms like YouTube or Facebook.