Periscope was Twitter’s live-video service, introduced in 2015 after Twitter acquired the startup behind it. The app let users broadcast video in real time and allowed viewers to send comments and hearts during a stream.
Twitter acquired Periscope before its public launch, and the service quickly became associated with live coverage of news, sports, demonstrations and personal events. Its broadcasts could be shared through Twitter, connecting live video with Twitter’s existing conversation network.
Periscope is distinct from Vine, another Twitter-owned video product. Vine specialized in short, looping clips recorded and edited for later viewing, while Periscope was built around live streaming. Twitter integrated Periscope features into its main service and later discontinued the standalone app in 2021.