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Live audio app Clubhouse launches Android version to expand its market as downloads plummet

  • After peaking in February with 9.6 million downloads, that number fell to 900,000 in April, according to Sensor Tower
  • The app has sparked copy cats from start-ups and larger rivals including Facebook and Twitter

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Apple's App Store page for the social media app Clubhouse is displayed on a smartphone screen. Photo: AP

Live audio app Clubhouse will begin introducing a test version of its app to Google’s Android users in the United States, the company said, in a potentially big expansion of its market.

The app, which spiked in popularity early this year after celebrity billionaire Elon Musk and others appeared in audio chats, has sparked copy cats from start-ups and larger rivals including Facebook and Twitter.

It has been available only to users of Apple devices and by invitation. 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 9.6 million downloads, that number fell to 2.7 million in March and then 900,000 downloads in April, according to 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.

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