Why Twitter Is Shutting Down Periscope Apps & What Users Need To Know

Purchased by Twitter in 2015, the Periscope apps are now due to be shut down within the next few months. While this is the latest example of a service being shuttered, things are not quite that simple this time. Here’s everything current Periscope users need to know ahead of the live streaming app closure, including why this is happening in the first place.

Periscope has been around long enough to establish itself as a popular option for those looking to live stream. In spite of being one of the earliest options for broadcasting to others, the last couple of years has seen massive growth in this area, resulting in many other services offering similar functionality, both in terms of standalone apps and as features within existing service apps.

Announced in a “Farewell, Periscope” Medium post, the mobile Periscope experience is being discontinued. Neither Twitter nor Periscope confirmed the exact date the Android and iOS apps will leave their respective app stores, although the announcement stated this will have occurred by March 31, 2021 at the latest. In the meantime, the announcement explains that once the next app release hits Android and iOS, new account creations will no longer be possible. Speaking of which, an update was rolled out to the App Store and Google Play today, and a Twitter FAQ page confirms the option to create new accounts has already ended. For any broadcasters concerned about their existing periscopes, the service has confirmed that prior to the March deadline, they will be able to download an archive of all broadcasts and related data.

Why Twitter Is Shutting Periscope Down

There are two primary reasons given as to why this is happening, although they are related. Firstly, there’s Twitter. Periscope highlighted how much of the core functionality has already been integrated into the Twitter experience. The ability to ‘go live’ on Twitter was added back in 2016. The second reason is the costs involved in maintaining the separate apps. For example, with similar features available directly within the Twitter app, Periscope notes the overall user base for the standalone application has decreased. At the same time, the costs have not decreased in the same way, reducing any value associated with keeping the apps operational. On this point, Periscope says it would have shut the apps down sooner, if it had not been for 2020 and other projects taking priority.

Of course, this development comes only a matter of days after Twitter confirmed the acquisition of Squad. This is an app that’s specifically designed with video calls and screen-sharing in mind, and it is expected that much of the functionality of Squad will be incorporated into Twitter, like Periscope’s core features were previously. The Squad purchase announcement confirmed that, also like Periscope, the standalone Squad apps were being retired, albeit with more of an immediate effect. When taking together, the recent announcements do point to the likelihood of Twitter gaining even more live video improvements and features in the future, whether it be for live-streaming, video-calling, or both.

Source: Periscope/Medium

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John Finn
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John Finn is a technology editor and writer for Screen Rant. John has been covering technology since 2014 and focuses on where tech meets the movie and TV industry. A Psychology graduate from England who now lives in the US, John previously worked in the aviation industry as an airline reviewer. You can find John on Twitter (@J_Finns) or contact directly at john [at] screenrant [dot] com.

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