Use Periscope on an Android phone

Twitter has now released its new live-broadcast app on Android. Martyn Casserly shows how to use it

Following its release on iOS back in March, Periscope – the live video broadcast app – is now available for Android users. Owned by Twitter, this new form of social media looks set to take on the likes of Meerkat and bring live streaming into the mainstream. Here, we explain what Periscope is, how to use it, and why you’d want to.

What is Periscope?

Periscope is Twitter’s new live broadcasting app, which allows users to either watch or create videos on their phones, which can be watched in real-time by others. While YouTube provides a way for video creators to build up a catalogue of well-made episodic content, Periscope is very different, in that everything is instantaneous and you can interact with your audience while the broadcast is going on. Streams are only stored on the servers for 24 hours before being deleted, although you can save them to your device’s camera roll if you want to keep them longer and share with friends and family.

Installing the app

Installation is very easy, as the app can be found in the Google Play store. Open the Store app, search for Periscope, then tap on Install. You’ll be presented with a lengthy list of app permissions, but this is often due to the social nature of the app and the fact it needs As Periscope is a Twitter app, you’ll need to have a Twitter account to use it. Tap the Log in with Twitter button to get started, then enter your existing account details or create a free account. One of the advantages that the Android app has over its iOS alternative is that you can actually use more than one account if you have them. To set up multiples, tap on the one displayed at the top of the