thearchivist.funPeriscope is retired as a separate app
On 15 December 2020 Twitter said in a Medium post that it would discontinue Periscope as a standalone mobile app by March 2021. The company's FAQ gave 31 March 2021 as the date. Broadcasts shared to Twitter would remain available as replays, and content already shared on Periscope would stay accessible, though it might be harder to find without direct links. Before the app was removed, broadcasters could download an archive of their own broadcasts and data. The standalone app would be pulled from app stores and in-app account creation would end with the next release. Archive Team opened a project for it. The wiki lists it with its status as on hiatus and the data collection as locked, and states no size or dates.
Context and provenance
This is a case with a reassuring promise and an unverifiable follow-through. Twitter said existing content would stay accessible. A reader who needs a Periscope broadcast should test the link instead of assuming the promise held, and should note the date it was tested.
Verify any Periscope broadcast by opening its link and recording the date, because the company's promise that content would remain accessible is a statement of intent. If the broadcast is gone, a download made by the broadcaster before the shutdown, or a re-share on Twitter, is the next best evidence.
Transmission timeline
- 2020-12-15
Twitter announces that Periscope will be discontinued as a separate app.
- 2021-03-31
Stated date for retiring Periscope.
Why it matters
Periscope's closure combined a personal-download right with a promise that public replays would remain, but the promise needs checking link by link.
What remains uncertain
The primary announcement was not read directly; the wiki is the only source. Whether replays are still reachable was not tested.
Sources and evidence
- Archive Team wiki: Periscope
15 December 2020 announcement, 31 March 2021 date, replays kept, download of own archive, project status.
Editorial review: 2026-10-22. New evidence may change this account.