Twitter to discontinue Periscope app in early 2021

Twitter will discontinue video platform Periscope as a separate mobile app early in 2021, the social media giant has announced.

The live video app, which was bought by Twitter in 2015 before it had publicly launched, will be removed from app stores by the end of March 2021.

In a blog post, the Periscope team said the decision had been made because of dwindling user numbers and ongoing costs, also noting that most of the core capabilities of the app had been added to Twitter itself.

“We want to be transparent about why we’re making this decision, especially to those of you who are active and passionate users of Periscope today,” the company said.

“The truth is that the Periscope app is in an unsustainable maintenance-mode state, and has been for a while. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen declining usage and know that the cost to support the app will only continue to go up over time.

“Leaving it in its current state isn’t doing right by the current and former Periscope community or by Twitter.

“We still believe in the power of live video to solve impactful problems, which is why we’ve brought most of the core capabilities of Periscope into Twitter. We probably would have made this decision sooner if it weren’t for all of the projects we reprioritised due to the events of 2020.”

Periscope confirmed users would be able to download an archive of all their broadcasts and data before the app is removed, while any broadcasts shared through Twitter would live on as replays on the social media site.

The app also confirmed it would start blocking new accounts from signing up once its latest app update rolls out, which is starting on Wednesday.

“Although it’s time to say goodbye, the legacy of Periscope will live on far beyond the boundaries of the app itself,” Periscope said.

“The capabilities and ethos of the Periscope team and infrastructure already permeate Twitter, and we’re confident that live video still has the potential of seeing an even wider audience within the Twitter product.”

The Periscope team added it was “a genuine honour to pour our heart and soul into building something that other people loved enough to use and build their own communities around. Thank you so much”.