Clubhouse is an audio-based social media app that was founded in 2020 by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth. It lets you create and join "rooms," where you can then chat with others, listen to other people's conversations and host calls. Anyone can download the app for free, either on your iPhone or Android.
Users can join and leave the call at any time and participate in many different conversations on various topics. Here's what you should know about the Clubhouse app.
Do I need an invite to join Clubhouse?
While the app used to be invite-only, it's now available to all.
This might be an effort to keep up with growing competitors in the audio space, like Twitter Spaces, which rolled out to all users in May of 2021. (Downloads for the app did slow around the same time.)
Is Clubhouse available for Android?
Yes, although Clubhouse used to be limited to iPhone users only, as of May 2021, you have the option to use it on Android devices as well.
How to join or start a room on Clubhouse
When you open the Clubhouse app, you'll be presented with a list of rooms, based on your interests and the people you follow and the clubs you've joined.
You'll also see a list showing who's in each room. You can join the room by tapping on it, or start your room by tapping the corresponding button at the bottom of the screen.
Rooms can either be private or public. So, as with any social media app, you'll want to make sure you understand what kind of room you're in, or starting, to make sure you aren't making private information public. You'll have the option to change the privacy settings on a room you start, when you create it.
Are there any drawbacks to Clubhouse?
Clubhouse, like any social media platform, is not without its issues. Namely, it's been criticized for a general lack of moderation and response to harmful speech. That's despite the platform's terms of service, which state that harmful, threatening, or hateful speech are not allowed.
