by Substack is officially launching its Android app after beta testing, the company announced on Tuesday. The launch of the Android app comes six months after Substack introduced its iOS app. The Substack Reader app brings all your Substack subscriptions into one place where you can read content from authors you follow. The app is also designed to empower authors to better connect with their readers.
The company says the app makes it easier for authors to gain new subscribers and for readers to explore and sample Substacks they might not otherwise have found. Users can also add any RSS feed to the app via the recently released Substack Web Reader.
“Your subscribers using Android devices can expect the same quality of reading, watching and listening 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 your inbox even richer. We’ll be adding new features and functionality as we continue to develop the app and improve the experience for readers, authors, podcasters, video makers, community leaders and more.”
Once you open the app, you’ll be taken to your inbox, which shows you new newsletters from all the authors you’ve subscribed to. When you click on a post, you can use the navigation bar at the bottom to view and post comments. On the main home page, there is a discover tab where you can search or view featured authors. You can also browse content by category such as technology, politics, travel, podcasts, art and more from the discover section.
Substack says this is only the first version of the Android app, but that it incorporates the first feedback the company received from users of the iOS app. The company also notes that the iOS app is the source of 10% of all new subscriptions that authors receive, and that it expects the Android app to see similar results.
At 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 authors on Substack. In addition, Substack had said that while its main framework was “flourishing,” it was time to branch out beyond email and the web.
The launch of the Android app will likely help Substack better compete with other companies in the ever-expanding newsletter market. The launch comes just months after Twitter began testing its Notes feature of long-form content following its acquisition of Revue. Although Meta has also been trying to compete in the newsletter market, it was revealed today that Facebook is shutting down its competitor Substack.
