Substack is officially launching its Android app following beta tests, the company announced on Tuesday. The rollout of the Android app comes six months after Substack introduced its iOS app. The Substack Reader app brings all of your Substack subscriptions into one place where you can read content from writers you follow. The app is also designed to give writers the ability to better connect with their readers.
The company says the app makes it easier for writers to get new subscribers and for readers to explore and sample Substacks they might otherwise not have found. Users can also add any RSS feed to the app via the recently launched Substack Web Reader.
“Your subscribers who use Android devices can expect the same quality reading, watching, and listening experience from our new app,” Substack said in a blog post. “The Android app is simple and focused. No ads, no noise, no spam. Podcasts, videos and community make the inbox even richer. We’ll add new features and functions as we continue to develop the app and improve the experience for readers, writers, podcasters, videomakers, community leaders and more.”
Once you open the app, you’re taken to your inbox, which shows you new newsletters from all of the writers you subscribe to. When you click on a post, you can use the navigation bar at the bottom to view and post comments. On the main homepage, there’s a discover tab where you can search or view featured writers. You can also browse content based on categories, including technology, politics, travel, podcasts, art and more from the discover section.
Substack says this is just the first version of the Android app, but that it incorporates early feedback that the company received from users of the iOS app. The company also notes that the iOS app is the source of 10% of all of the new subscriptions writers receive and that it expects the Android app will see similar results.
At the time of the iOS launch, the company said the main focus of the app is to give users a simple way to read posts and discover new writers on Substack. In addition, Substack had said that although its main framework has been “flourishing,” it’s time for it to branch outside of email and the web.
The launch of the Android app will likely help Substack better compete with other companies in the continuously expanding newsletter market. The rollout comes a few months after Twitter began testing its long-form content “Notes” feature after its acquisition of Revue. Although Meta was also looking to compete in the newsletter market, it was revealed today that Facebook is shutting down its Substack competitor.