Twitter shutting down Periscope in March 2021

Credit: Twitter

Twitter is officially shutting down Periscope, its standalone livestreaming service, in March 2021, though it will continue to offer its core capabilities through Twitter Live.

The microblogging platform acquired Periscope in 2015, and the livestreaming service eventually won an Apple App of the Year award that same year. Five years later, however, and Twitter says that Periscope has become unsustainable.

"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," Twitter wrote in a blog post.

Twitter will fully shut down the standalone Periscope app in March 2021. In the interim, it's also disabling new sign ups and easing requirements for existing users to become broadcasters that can cash out tips given by users.

After it's dead, Periscope's website will become a read-only archive of past broadcasts. Users will also have the opportunity to download a full archive of their own data and video clips.

As mentioned, Twitter has already introduced "most of the core capabilities of Periscope" into its Twitter Live feature, which exists in the main Twitter app.