Clubhouse for Android is here — what you need to know

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Clubhouse, the infamously exclusive audio chat app, just removed a barrier for entry. It's no longer exclusive to iPhone, at present that a beta version of the app has arrived on Google Play.

The app has only launched on Android in the U.Due south., though Clubhouse has promised it will be rolling out to other English language speaking countries and the rest of the world.

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The downside is that Clubhouse is sticking to its invite-only system, which means you won't be able to just drop in and join the service whenever you feel like it. The idea behind this is "part of an endeavour to continue the growth measured".

In other words, Clubhouse is making sure at that place isn't a surge of new users that overwhelms the service. Since Clubhouse has already had issues with moderation, artificially limiting growth presumably ensures that moderators will be able to keep on top of things.

According to Clubhouse, its next job is to "collect feedback from the community, fix whatsoever issues nosotros see and work to add a few final features like payments and guild creation before rolling information technology out more than broadly".

Features that are missing include in-app translations, localization features, the power to create and manage clubs, the option to follow a topic, the power to change profile and user names and more. They're not massive in the grand scheme of things, only they do add together upwardly. And they need sorting out before the service is fabricated bachelor to the masses.

Part of that broader rollout will exist bringing Clubhouse to Android users outside the U.S. This summer volition likewise see the company migrate millions of iOS users who had to be put on a waitlist while Clubhouse worked on its infrastructure.

The question is whether this is going to practice much for Clubhouse. The app's popularity has been waning in recent weeks, in part cheers to its exclusivity but besides cheers to copycat services from other social media companies. Because why sit on a Clubhouse waitlist when you can use equivalent services on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or wherever else?

U.S. readers tin head over to Google Play and download the Clubhouse beta right now, though you volition either demand an existing account or know someone who can hand over an invite. Readers in the rest of the world tin can 'pre-annals' and sign up for updates every bit and when they're available.

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Tom is the Tom'south Guide's Automotive Editor, which means he can usually be found genu deep in stats the latest and best electrical cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It'due south long way from his days every bit editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He'due south usually establish trying to clasp another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining that Ikea won't allow him buy the stuff he really needs online.