One of the oldest live-streaming apps, Periscope, is saying goodbye to its users. The app was developed in 2015, and it was acquired by Twitter before its launch. The app has been killed due to declining users and high maintenance costs. Compatible with iOS and Android devices, Periscope was the pioneer in the live streaming category. Initially, it was doing very well, with its total users exceeding ten million just a few months after its launch. Unfortunately, times have changed, and Periscope’s success has faded away.
The announcement of pulling the plug on Periscope was made in a blog post this week. The statement said,
We have made the difficult decision to discontinue Periscope as a separate mobile app by March 2021.
The statement also explained the reason behind the move, in statement, the company explained that the cost of sustaining the app was too high, and it would only increase with time. It further read,
The truth is that the Periscope app is in an unsustainable maintenance-mode state.
The statement also mentioned the declining number of users of the app and, “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.” So while the move was unfortunate, it had to be done. The company said that it wanted to close the curtains on the app much sooner, however, the pandemic prevented it from killing the app earlier.
It is worth noting that Periscope’s features were already integrated into Twitter, and the features of the app will continue to be available on the Platform despite the app shutting down. The company says that the app will be removed from the Play store on 31st March 2021. However, the content shared on Periscope will be available for replaying and downloading until its removal.
After Periscope’s launch five years ago, its popularity forced companies like Instagram and Facebook to launching their live stream features too. Soon these rivals became more popular than Periscope, and a lot of users migrated from Periscope to other apps. The problems soon started piling up. Periscope faced a few copyright issues too.
After a five-year run, Periscope is rightfully being put to rest. Amidst all of this, Twitter is confident that live streams on Twitter will grow despite the end of Periscope.