A growing number of social media companies are currently developing ways for their users to communicate through voice. The latest company to announce such a service was Twitter, which launched its new offering last week. Moves to add audio as a way for users to connect demonstrate the popularity of the social media app Clubhouse, a social network based completely on voice communication. Clubhouse was launched in March 2020 by two American businessmen. It permits users to communicate through audio in virtual discussion rooms, also known as “chatrooms.” There are many rooms covering a wide range of subjects and users can create their own rooms. People who want to join the app must first be approved after being invited by someone who already has it. Clubhouse had only been available for iPhone users since its launch. But a new version for Android devices was released to U.S. users this week and is set to launch soon in other countries. Clubhouse was launched during the coronavirus pandemic when people around the world faced restrictions that kept them at home. Its popularity grew after appearances on the app by several famous people, including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk. Clubhouse reached a high of 9.6 million downloads in February, industry researcher Sensor Tower reported. However, downloads of the app then dropped to 2.7 million in March, Sensor Tower said. Clubhouse recently reported it had about 10 million active weekly users. In some parts of the world, the app has become a favored place to speak freely about issues considered too sensitive to discuss in public or on other forms of social media.