Twitter Began Testing Its Clubhouse-Like Spaces on Android
Twitter announced that it has launched a beta test of its live audio chat rooms called Spaces on Android. Previously, the beta version of Spaces was only available to iOS users following the private beta launch of the products in December last year.
Android folks, our beta is growing! starting today you will be able to join and talk in any Space. SOON you’ll be able to create your own but we’re still working out some things. keep your 👀 out for live Spaces above your home tl
— Spaces (@TwitterSpaces) March 2, 2021
The fact that the company was developing Spaces became known in November 2020. Twitter has now launched a beta test for a limited number of Android users. They are said to be able to connect to any available chat room and join the conversation, but they cannot personally create such Spaces yet. According to the company, users will be able to create their own Spaces in the near future, both on iOS and Android. Twitter did not specify when exactly Spaces will be available to everyone.
our new experiment brings people together to connect directly in an intimate, conversational Space.
— Spaces (@TwitterSpaces) December 17, 2020
we imagine the best Spaces to feel like a well hosted dinner party. y’all rolling your eyes, we know. but stay with us!
The company has been rapidly working on launching Twitter Spaces for Android within months of debuting its iOS beta at the end of December 2020. Twitter confirmed last month that Spaces would arrive on Android in March.
It is reported that the developers of Twitter Spaces have created a number of new features: display titles, scheduling options, support for co-hosts and moderators, guest lists, etc.
This rapid pace allowed Twitter to overtake its rival Clubhouse, the new market leader in "social audio," since Twitter is the first to offer support for Android, while Clubhouse is still only available for iOS users today.
In early 2021, the media started actively talking about Clubhouse. The company is raising investments with a valuation of $1 billion, and the number of its active users is rapidly growing.
While Clubhouse is exploding in popularity, Facebook introduced the Live Rooms feature on Instagram, which resembles the rooms in Clubhouse and allows users to host live streams in groups of up to 4 people. Thus, Spaces is now another competitor of the Clubhouse app, and its focus on Android could attract more users.
In addition to launching Spaces in beta, Twitter also introduced audio tweets last June on iOS for a limited number of users. The new feature allows people to record and send audio messages that last up to 140 seconds. In February this year, the social media platform also added support for voice direct messages in India for both iOS and Android.