The popular live video streaming service Periscope is getting shut down. Owned by Twitter, Periscope is set to say goodbye on Apr. 1 following the app's removal from the Google Play Store and iOS App Store.
Periscope is discontinued
Twitter had already confirmed the end of Periscope in December 2020, but today, Periscope posted on Twitter that April 1 is the last day that users will be able to access the live video streaming service.
Periscope began development in 2014 and was acquired by Twitter in 2015 before it was released to the public. The app was considered one of the most popular tools for streaming live videos from a smartphone back then.
However, this does not mean that users will no longer have an option to make live video on Twitter.
Since the acquisition of Periscope, most of the platform's features have been integrated directly into Twitter through a feature called Twitter Live, which will remain available to users. Moreover, the Periscope team is working on Spaces, which is a new Twitter tool that offers live audio chat rooms.
According to Twitter, the Periscope website will remain available with an archive of all the public content, while users can also download their Periscope videos from the archive.
However, Periscope's mobile app will no longer work.
Twitter Spaces feature
Since Periscope is no longer available, Twitter is pushing for its other feature called Twitter Spaces, with Twitter working overtime in order to expand its audio rooms.
The feature was launched to Android users earlier this month but without the ability to create rooms. At the time, Android users could only join rooms that were created by Twitter Spaces iOS users.
Now, Twitter is giving Android users the chance to create their own Spaces, which brings the Twitter Spaces feature parity across both iOS and Android devices.
Clicking the action button in the Twitter app will bring up numerous options.
A new Spaces button appears at the top, just above GIF and Photos. Tapping on Spaces button brings up a window to start your own space.
Meanwhile, clicking the blue button creates a public space that anyone can join. Spaces hosts can turn their microphones on or off, enable the captions, turn on sound effects, and invite other people to the space through DM or a link.
The feature draws inspiration from Clubhouse, which could still be a few months away from being available on Android devices.
Also, social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are constantly scouting the next-big thing. The drop-in audio chatrooms pioneered by Clubhouse during the pandemic have taken off.
Twitter Spaces may have beaten Clubhouse when it became available to Android devices, but it is not the only social media giant that is working on drop-in audio features.
Clubhouse has been installed an estimated 5.5 million times, despite it being available to iOS users only and it being invite-only. Facebook wants to capitalize on Clubhouse's popularity before it becomes available to everyone, like TikTok, according to The New York Times.
Related Article: Twitter Spaces Android: 'Clubhouse' Function Features Audio-only Attribute-How to Use it, and MORE
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Written by Sieeka Khan
