What is Periscope?
Periscope is a live streaming app, owned by Twitter, that allows you to share and watch live video broadcasts from your mobile gadget of choice.
Periscope is a ‘visual pulse of what’s happening right now‘. It lets you ‘discover the world through someone else’s eyes‘.
And it’s the new hottest social media platform that just might be here to stay.
In this tutorial, you’ll find everything you need to know on how to use Periscope – for business or pleasure.
Periscope: Broadcast vs Watch
There are two basic things you can do on Periscope:
- broadcast or
- watch others broadcast.
For broadcasters, Periscope is a great opportunity to share your experiences with others.
Press a button and you are live. Not only that, but your followers will be instantly notified you are broadcasting, so you’ll be directly connected to your audience.
For viewers, Periscope will give you an opportunity to discover the world the way you never could on your own.
And you are not just a passive viewer either. You can interact with the broadcaster, ask questions, and encourage them by tapping the screen to send hearts.
Whether you like to watch or broadcast, this Periscope tutorial has got you covered.
How to Get Started with Periscope
1. Download Periscope app from iTunes
Here’s your download link on iTunes.
And… drumroll!… Periscope is finally available on Android!
Here’s your download link on Google Play.
Also, here’s everything you need to know about Periscope on Android (the core features are the same as iOS app, but there are a few differences as well).
How to Use Periscope for Android: Your A to Z Tutorial
I am sorry to say, Android users have run out of excuses of why they haven’t yet checked Periscope out for themselves…
At the very least, I’d highly recommend you register your name for now, if nothing else – especially, if you are planning on using Periscope for business.
Register your name on Periscope before someone else does.
2. Log in with Twitter or your phone number
When you open your Periscope app, you’ll have two options: log in with Twitter or your phone number.
It’s nice to have a choice, but why would you want to sacrifice integration with Twitter?
I don’t think that’s smart, so unless you are an anti-Twitter fanatic, I definitely recommend creating your account with Twitter login.
What if you have several Twitter accounts?
SIDE NOTE: just like on Twitter, you can choose to have as many Periscope accounts as you have Twitter accounts.
Switching between your Periscope accounts is easy.
- Add all your Twitter accounts to your phone (read Mike Allton’s tutorial on how to add multiple Twitter accounts to your phone, if you need help).
- Sign out of your current Twitter account (as long as you are signed into Twitter, Periscope will continue to automatically log you in under that account).
- Log into Periscope under desired Twitter account
And, if you really insist on it, here’s how to sign up for Periscope with your phone number:
- Once you’re on the login screen, tap Sign Up with Phone Number.
- Enter the required info and tap Send Confirmation Code.
- You’ll receive an SMS with your confirmation code. Pop that in the prompt.
- If you have problems, tap Resend Confirmation Code.
- You’ll go back to the login screen, wait for a few, and then you’ll be redirected to create your profile.
3. Create your Periscope username
Just because you sign in to Periscope with Twitter, it doesn’t mean you have to keep your Twitter username.
For instance, my Twitter username is AnaTrafficCafe – something I had to come up with because all other variations were too long or taken.
If you are not happy with your Twitter username, you CAN and should create a new username for your Periscope account.
Should you go for your own name or your company name?
Personally, I’ll go for my name every time. Doesn’t mean you can’t create a separate account for your brand, but bringing ‘personal’ into your brand is extremely important.
I highly recommend you read this excellent post by Mark Traphagen at Stone Temple Consulting on the subject:
The Power of the Personal: If You Liked It Then You Shoulda Put Your Name on It
Whichever way you choose to go, important thing to remember is:
And another quick tip on your Periscope username:
Once you create your Periscope username, you are in!
Periscope Newbie: Meet Periscope on iOS
Allow me to give you a quick Periscope tour.
Here’s what you’ll see first thing after you log into Periscope:
Well, since this is your first time on Periscope, this is more like what you’ll see:
Your Periscope ‘Home Page’
There are three basic things you can do on Periscope:
- Watch
- Broadcast
- Find people
Periscope’s Watch Tab (the TV icon in the bottom left corner) is your default Periscope home page.
I think it might be a good idea to make sure your Periscope profile is complete before doing anything else on Periscope.
Let’s head over to Periscope’s People Tab (in the bottom right corner) and I’ll show you where to find your profile.
How to Manage Your Periscope on iOS Profile
First things first – where is your Periscope profile?
Here’s how to change your profile info:
Of course, you can include a link into your Periscope profile. But remember:
What else can you do under your profile tab?
Manage Your Periscope Followers/People You Follow/Blocked List
Under your profile, you can also see:
- your followers (and follow them back)
- people you are following (and unfollow them)
- people you’ve blocked (and unblock them)
- your broadcast replays (and watch them or delete them; nothing else)
How Does Blocking Users Work on Periscope?
When you block a user on Periscope, that user will not be able to follow you or view any of your broadcasts, chats, or hearts in the app.
You will also be unable to follow or see that user’s broadcasts, chats or hearts.
To block a Periscope user:
- Tap the username you’d like to block.
- Tap ‘Block User.’
You can unblock a user at any time, via your Profile.
To unblock a user:
- Tap ‘Blocked’ in your Profile to view the list of users you have previously blocked.
- Select the user you would like to unblock by clicking into their profile.
- Tap “Blocked” to bring up the option to “Unblock User.” Tap this option.
NOTE: The user will NOT receive a notification that you have blocked/unblocked them.
Change Your Push Notifications Settings
By default, you will receive a push notification when:
- Someone starts following you: “Captain Ahab (@CptAhab) started following you.”
- Someone you follow starts a public broadcast: “Captain Ahab is live: View from Pequod.”
- Someone you follow invites you to a private broadcast: “Captain Ahab invited you to a private broadcast: We just got engaged.”
- Someone you follow shares another person’s live broadcast. “@Melville wants you to watch: Captain Ahan is live: View from Pequod.”
- When someone you follow on Twitter live broadcasts for the first time.
How do you fine-tune this vomit plethora of Periscope notifications?
- You can turn off notifications for when a new user follows you in your Periscope profile (screenshot above).
- You can unfollow people whom you no longer want to see any push notifications from (there’s no shame in unfollowing noisy culprits!)
- You can turn off all push notifications for Periscope – period.
- Go to your device settings.
- Scroll down to find Periscope.
- Click on Notifications.
- Toggle Allow Notifications to off.
Now What? Find Someone to Follow
As with any social media platform, what you get from Periscope will definitely depend on whom you choose to follow.
When you follow someone on Periscope:
- You will be invited to join their public broadcasts via push notifications, if your push notifications are enabled.
- Their broadcasts will appear in your Watch Tab for 24 hours.
- They can invite you to watch other people’s public broadcasts.
- You can chat in their limited broadcasts.
- Anyone you follow can invite you to their private broadcasts.
How do you know whom to follow on Periscope?
Ideally, people you follow should:
- do Periscope broadcasts
If they don’t broadcast, there’s really no reason to follow them. - share similar interests
Goes without saying, right?
1. Follow @AnaHoffman
What?… Had to take my chance when I saw it… lol
2. Follow people others are following
The best way to find people to follow is to check out whom others follow.
For instance, if you are into marketing, find a marketer you already like and see whom they are following.
Let’s say you start with me. Here’s what you do:
- While in ‘People’ section of Periscope, search for Ana Hoffman.
- Follow me.
- Tap on my name to see my profile.
- Tap on the people I am following.
- Follow anyone you’d like.
3. Follow people you already follow on Twitter
Periscope will tell you when they join.
When someone you follow on Twitter joins Periscope, the app will notify you – you’ll see their name pop up at the top of ‘People’ section.
You’ll see how many Periscope followers they have (it’s a level playing field out there! – for now), their Twitter bio, and you’ll be able to follow them right there and then should you choose to.
4. Follow broadcast commentators
When watching a broadcast (yours or other broadcasters’), you’ll see other people joining in and/or commenting on it.
If you see anyone you want to take a closer look at, you can tap on their name right from the broadcast and you’ll see the following on your screen (no worries, the broadcast will continue to run in the background.)
You can choose to block that person right there and then. (This is a new feature in response to too many comment trolls spoiling everyone’s fun; good for Periscope team for being so responsive to user feedback!)
Blocking a user will block their visibility to you throughout Periscope.
You can also choose to tap on ‘View Profile’ to… yes, view that person’s full profile and follow them. Once again, their profile will open as an overlay with the broadcast still running in the background.
4. Follow people on Periscope ‘Most Loved’ list
Periscope ‘Most Loved’ list is the first thing you see when you click on ‘People’ icon.
People who earn the most hearts (explained below) land on that list.
Can you follow those people? I wouldn’t recommend it. But you can.
What Are Periscope ‘Hearts’?
The way Periscope ‘measures’ popularity is by the number of ‘hearts’ (likes) any given Periscope user has.
The more hearts you have, the higher up you’ll go on Periscope ‘Most loved’ list.
A few quick pointers about hearts (this is how I believe they work at the time of writing):
- You can earn hearts on both live broadcasts and replays;
- Hearts can be given during private broadcasts as well, but they won’t count towards your total;
- There seems to be a limit of 500 hearts per account per live and replay broadcast.
We’ll talk more about hearts a bit later in the post.
Periscope ‘Broadcast’
Periscope lets you broadcast live to anyone who wants to watch.
Once you start a live broadcast, Periscope will instantly notify your followers so they can join, comment, and send you hearts in real time.
Let me walk you through things to consider before starting your Periscope broadcast.
Broadcast title
It needs to be short, descriptive, and yes, clickable.
That’s what your potential viewers go by when choosing to watch (or not) your broadcast.
Would you be enticed to click on any of the titles below?
Broadcast location
You can choose to share your location (requires your permission in your device Settings).
If you broadcast location-based events, I’d recommend you do allow your viewers to see where you are broadcasting from. (you can see what it looks like under broadcast titles in the screenshot above)
Broadcast privacy
Will your broadcast be public or private? Private broadcasts don’t show up in the Watch table and only notify those followers whom you select.
If you want to broadcast to specific followers, press the lock icon before going live (as shown in the screenshot above) and choose who you want to invite to your broadcast.
Limit who can comment
This is a new feature on Periscope, and it was designed to help you control the comment quality during your broadcasts.
If you choose to click on that icon, only people whom you follow will be able to comment on the broadcast.
Personally, I haven’t felt the need to use that function yet. Once I blocked a few users who kept leaving inappropriate comments, my broadcasts have become a lot more civilized.
Send broadcast to Twitter
Do you want to share your broadcast on Twitter? Click on the Twitter bird before your broadcast and your Twitter followers will see a tweet like the one below.
Something to keep in mind before sharing your broadcast on Twitter: is it good enough to add value to your Twitter followers or will it be just more noise in their Twitter stream?
Consider this:
both #Meerkat & #Periscope most prominent feature – inundating my Twitter feed with notifications instead of actual tweets
— Casey Neistat (@CaseyNeistat) March 27, 2015
Do you see how many RTs and Faves that tweet got? Because it struck a chord.
Be mindful of what you share and when you share it.
Save broadcast
If you want to save ALL your broadcasts for posterity, you can turn that function on in your profile settings.
You can also save your broadcast to the Camera roll on a case-by-case basis – you’ll be given that option once your broadcast is over.
What else can you do with your Periscope broadcast?
Delete broadcast replay
You’ll find that option after your broadcast is over.
Double-tap to flip camera
Quickly switch between broadcasting your wonderful self and the world around you.
How to end broadcast
Simply swipe down and click on ‘Stop Broadcasting’.
What Happens to Your Periscope Broadcasts?
Unlike Meerkat, where the livestream is… well, dead once the user stops it, Periscope will save your broadcasts for 24 hours.
Periscope users can replay them within that time frame.
Viewers can replay your broadcast with comments and hearts to relive the full experience or they can choose to hide chat befor the replay.
Just toggle on the chat icon at the bottom of the replay screen before hitting that replay button.
Once again, you can choose to save your broadcast to your Camera roll or delete it at any time.
You can also see your own broadcast history through your Profile View under ‘Broadcasts’. You will not be able to replay broadcasts more than 24 hours.
Periscope ‘Watch’
If you prefer to watch, here’s how.
Dive into Periscope Firehose
Each time you open your Periscope app, you’ll automatically land on the Watch section.
You’ll see some of the Live broadcasts at the top (I think they are randomly chosen), then Most Recent broadcasts once you scroll past the Live ones.
Once again, those will remain available for replay for up to 24 hours, unless the broadcaster chooses to delete them early.
Tap on the Periscope broadcast and voilà! – you are watching it live.
Join Broadcasters You Follow via Notifications
By default, once someone you’re following starts a broadcast, Periscope will send out a push notification and prompt you to watch it.
Simply slide any particular notification to view that broadcast.
Of course, the more people you follow, the more notifications you get. So do the math.
Follow people you actually want to hear from.
You can also change Periscope global settings under your iGadget settings to turn off push notifications altogether. Or at least turn off the sound. Or whatever other options fit you best.
Go to your system Settings => Periscope => adjust settings.
Here’s the screenshot. Remember I am using my 7 year-old daughter’s iPad…
- You can turn off notifications for when a new user follows you by:
- Tapping the People Tab in your information panel.
- Tapping the Profile icon on the top right of your People Tab.
- Tapping Settings.
- Toggling ‘User Follows You’ to off in your Profile settings.
- You can unfollow people who you no longer want to see any push notifications from.
- You can turn off all push notifications for Periscope:
- Go to your device settings.
- Scroll down to find Periscope.
- Click on Notifications.
- Toggle Allow Notifications to off.
How to Interact with Live Broadcasts
When watching a live Periscope broadcast, you can do the following to interact with it.
Comment on the live stream – you’ll see the dialogue box at the bottom of the broadcast.
By the way, turns out there’s such a thing as ‘too many viewers’; just look at this broadcast from Mashable:
So show up early!
‘Meet’ other Periscopers – tap on the bottom right Person icon to see who else is watching the broadcast.
Remember, you can follow anyone you like or even block anyone you like by double-tapping on the name (screenshot above).
Share broadcast with others – once you tap on the Person icon, you can also share the broadcast with your followers.
Here’s how that works:
- Tap on the Person icon in the bottom right corner.
- Click on Share the Broadcast.
- Choose to share with specific followers or all.
- This is what a notification will look like to your followers.
It seems like there’s another way of sharing a broadcast with a friend now – swipe the screen sideways to bring up the option to share (just scroll down the screen to see it). Thanks for sharing the tip with me on Twitter, Mark Alves!
Give the broadcaster “hearts” to show them you like what you see – simply tap the screen to see the hearts float up.
Periscope hearts are like and unlike ‘Likes’.
Yes, you give a broadcaster a heart to show them you like what you see, but you don’t have to stop at one. You can keep tapping the screen to give them more and more hearts and the more you give, the higher they flutter on the screen.
Hearts are more similar to applause in that way.
Plus, remember – the more hearts your favorite broadcasters have, the more likely they are to show up in the Most Loved section and be discovered by others.
Periscope Good-to-Know’s
Here are a few more resources about Periscope – how to learn more about it or where to get help.
Community Guidelines – information on what kind of content is and isn’t allowed on Periscope, privacy, spam, impersonation, copyright, and DMCA takedowns.
Periscope Terms of Service (ToS)
If you definitely need to contact Periscope team, email contact@periscope.tv
You can also submit a Periscope support ticket through this link.
You can also send feedback directly through the app by tapping Send Feedback on your profile page. (Navigate to the profile page by tapping the Profile icon in the top right corner of the People Tab).
You can report an inappropriate broadcast that violates the Periscope Community Guidelines directly through the app. When watching a broadcast, scroll to the bottom of the info panel and tap the Report icon. Tap to confirm.
If you see a user posting abusive comments in a broadcast, please take a screenshot and email safety@periscope.tv.
If you believe that content on Periscope infringes your copyrights, please provide Periscope team with a valid takedown notice following the instructions found here.
If you’d like to learn more about Periscope, Facebook Live, Blab, and live streaming in general, I recommend checking out Brian Fanzo’s Flipboard magazine Live Video.
Periscope: Your To-Do
I’ll be adding more to this tutorial as new Periscope features are released/discovered.
But for now, you’ve got enough to work with.
Here’s a quick Periscope checklist for you to follow:
1. Set up your Periscope account.
2. Find people to follow (start with me – @AnaHoffman).
3. Explore the features.
4. Do a quick broadcast to see how it’s done (I’d suggest you make it Private so you are not under pressure to ‘do it right’.)
5. Watch some broadcasts. Leave comments. Give away hearts.
6. Come back to thisPeriscope tutorial to learn more.
7. Have questions? Ask me in comments. If I don’t the answer, I’ll find out.
8. (optional, but much appreciated) Share this Periscope tutorial with others please.
But, above all, HAVE FUN!
![How to create a vanity shortened URL [TUTORIAL]](https://trafficgenerationcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Vanity-shortened-URL-1024x576.jpeg)
When I’m on a replay, sometimes it doesn’t show me as a replayer nor show any hearts for the broadcaster.
Just wondering why?
No good answer to that, Gale – even after all this time, Periscope remains quite glitchy.
Is there a way to turn off the user wants you to watch notification? I couldn’t care less about the person’s interest with other users on Periscope. My phone is constantly whistling and it’s driving me up the wall and most of them are, user wants you to watch so and so. I’m so close to breaking my phone it’s driving me mad. I don’t want to block the person sharing though.
If you go into your notifications, there should be a setting to turn off notifications for ‘Broadcast is shared with you’. I am looking at my Android Periscope right now, but pretty sure iOS version has a similar setting.
Hope this helps, Sha.
Is this tutorial up to date? I mean if all of this updated for Oct 22nd 2016? There were some changes made earlier this year.
Definitely need to add more recent features and update screenshots, Zbigniew. Things change so quickly; hard to keep up sometimes!
I am on Periscope. I have done broadcasts, but I cannot figure out how to name them. Can you help me?
Think about it this way, Bobby – if you wanted to find livestreams that focus on the same topics as yours, what keywords would you type in the search box to look for them? That should give you a good idea of what words to use in your titles. From there, it’s all up to your creativity! ✨
Hello! I accidentally signed out of my Periscope account. I’m trying to find another way to get back into my account without having to make a new one (as it prompted me to do.) This just one thing my cell phone is cut off at the moment so I can’t receive SMS messages. Pariscope wants to send a confirmation number.
Is there any other way I can log back into my account?
Thanks in advance!
I don’t really know how accounts that signed up under a phone number work, Avonna. Mine is connected with Twitter, thus I never had this trouble.
It’s been a while since you left the comment; were you able to figure it out? How?
The instructions have helped to improve my navigation experience better… Thank you.
You are very welcome, Zelda.
I know I can Block a person but is there a way to have them NOT be allowed to follow me in the first place, unless I approve?
I keep getting followers with explicit pornographic profile pictures! I have kids who love to use my phone.
I get an average of 2 a week! Each time I write to Periscope attaching the screenshot. But never get a live response. Always suggests blocking.
Wish it could be set up private like Twitter. Only allowed to follow if they are cleared.
I wish Periscope was fine-tuned, LuTina – alas, we can only block people when we come in contact with them, not beforehand.
I completely understand your frustration; Periscope is yet to learn how to combat spam/other unwanted individuals. And they better do it soon, or else people will stop using it!
My camera will not flip on my iPad while trying to broadcast on periscope. Help. Thanks
I assume it’s not your iPad camera that is the problem, right, Vicky – it only doesn’t flip while doing a Periscope broadcast?
Also, are you trying to flip the camera before or during the broadcast? If before, then the camera won’t flip, period. All Periscope broadcasts have to start with camera facing out, but you can flip it once the broadcast is started.
Beyond that, I am afraid I can’t help. Might be a technical issue beyond my knowledge. You can try getting in touch with Periscope team here: https://help.periscope.tv
Ana
If a commenter is abusive but we did not block them until comment four that was offensive can we remove the blocked users comments during playback??
Great cooments from non blocked that we want to preserve without child porn references from the troll.
Thanks
So sorry, you can’t delete those comments. I assume you are talking about the 24-hour Periscope replay? At least, it’s only painful for that long…
On the other hand, if you are thinking of repurposing the broadcast and uploading it to YouTube, for instance, then you should be able to at least blur out the offensive comments.
Somehow I was logged out of periscope. How can I sign in without creating a new account. I don’t have or want Twitter
I assume you signed up for Periscope with your phone number then, Calonda. You should be able to sign back in with the same phone number and the password you’d created when you signed up the first time around.
When broadcasting can you also type comments to people?
No, Patrick – you reply to comments speaking to your audience.
Thank you so much for your detailed explanation of periscope. I’ve been trolling the web for an article like yours for a week or so.
So glad you found it here, Steve.
Hello,
My question is related to a technical issue with Periscope.
On my iPhone, I suddenly am unable to log on. Typically I go in through the app and have accessibility. Now it seems as
if I’ve been kicked out and need to log in using Twitter, but when I attempt to do, I get an error message “Dorry we’ve encountered a loading issue. Please try again later.”
I get notifications, but when I click to join, I get the error message.
Please help and advise. Thank you.
This is a bit out of my depth, Tracey. I’d suggest deleting then reinstalling the app. If that doesn’t help, try Periscope help desk.
My screen said podcast is full. Is there a way to early join? Thanks
Maria
No, Maria – some broadcasts simply fill up very quickly. There’s no way to make sure you can join early to comment, but hey – you can still listen in.
i made a mistake and set my periscope up with phone number bc i didnt realize i couldnt link my twitter later. Now i tried logging out and logging back in with twitter and it takes me directly to create new account. Do you know of any way i can link my twitter to persicope? i messaged periscope help on twitter but they are not responsive. i dont really want to create a new periscope because i am already set up the with username i want, and do not want to lose that.
I understand how frustrating it is, Michele – I only wish they make it more clear when people sign up!
Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to connect your phone sign-up to your Twitter account.
However, it seems like you don’t have that many followers yet. Might be a good time to start from scratch.
If I do I have to use a different username on periscope though correct?
Ahh… yes, that’s correct.
Try to reach Periscope team at this link: https://help.periscope.tv/customer/portal/emails/new
I’m going to do my first Periscope Broadcast today at an Open House (I’m a Realtor as well as online marketer). This tutorial has been very helpful. Thank you
How did it go???
My face doesn’t show just my background. How can my followers see me?
Periscope broadcasts what your camera sees. If your camera doesn’t recognize you, you might need to look into that.
My dialogue box is not appearing…
You mean you can’t leave comments on a broadcast? Any broadcast or a particular one?
Is there a way to find what you have previously watched if you lose the feed and have not followed them please?
Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to do it.
You can use http://getxplore.com/ to search for live broadcasts.
When it comes down to recorded once, your best bet is probably do a search on Twitter.
1. Go to https://twitter.com/search-home
2. Enter #periscope, plus any keyword you might remember from the broadcast you are trying to find.
Of course, past 24 hours, you won’t be able to watch it even if you do find it.
Thank you for your informative article.
I hope you can help me out. I tried to ask a broadcaster a question but it didn’t seem as she saw it. I tried sending it various times, including when she was waiting for more questions and comments from her audience, to no avail. Do you know what I’m doing wrong or why I wouldn’t have clearance to post a comment? Her Broadcast is the only one I’m following and I don’t have any followers, would that have anything to do with it?
There’s a feature Periscope broadcaster can use to limit who can comment – should a broadcaster choose to use it, only people whom THEY follow will be able to comment on the broadcast.
My best guess that’s why you weren’t able to comment on that broadcast, Cindy – that broadcaster isn’t following you.
Ana, is the Engineering team considering making it possible to save our archived feeds to Dropbox in addition to the Camera Roll? Thanks!
I don’t really know, Deb, but it’s not that difficult to move your file wherever you wish once it’s in your Camera Roll. With that in mind, this might not be the top priority for Periscope team. Just my thoughts on it.
Thank you – this is by far the best tutorial on Periscope that I have found. The screenshots and diagrams make all the difference.
Thanks for taking your time to let me know, Patty – makes all the difference in the world!
This is very helpful, but is there a printable format on these instructions? Thanks
Sorry; not at the moment, Thomas. Working on it though.
is there anyway to see all broadcasts of someone that recorded in past ?
Only within the past 24 hours; after that all replays disappear, Ali.
If you are on iOS, you can go under anyone’s profile and see if they’ve done any broadcasts recently; if they have, they’ll be listed there and you can replay them – again within that 24 hour window.
great tutorial. Thanks so much.
Can you tell me the difference between the number in the bottom right corner during the broadcast and the number that shows up as live viewers after the broadcast. Seems like that’s should be the same number. But it’s not.
It would make a lot of sense for it to be the same, Emily. lol
Unfortunately, that number is very glitchy – even more so on Periscope for Android. Also, that number only shows the live views on Periscope app, but doesn’t include web viewers (people who are watching through a Twitter link, for instance).
If I view a periscope through the Twitter app but I don’t have a periscope account, will that person know I’ve seen it?
This isn’t a ‘yes or no’ answer.
Periscope does track web views and can report SOME of the names, but it doesn’t report ALL the names. I am guessing it shows the last 10-20 viewers.
Also, it depends on whether you are logged into Twitter or not. So there are lots of variables here. 😉
Hello Anna,
Is Periscope capable to broadcast active phone screen (like screen sharing) ?
Thank you,
No, Ceyhan; unfortunately, no screencasting on Periscope. Only your camera.
There are workarounds, but they get complicated. For instance, you can Periscope your computer screen that mirrors your phone, but it’s awkward and hard to get a good angle.
Has anyone reported issues with periscope and iPads? It works perfectly on my iPhone but I can not interact with broadcasters on my iPad. I can not even get a full screen of the broadcast, when it comes up, it shows only half screen. I deleted app and rest all but get same problem.
I use Periscope on an iPad mostly and haven’t had any major problems with it. Every once in a while, it starts glitching – I have to reboot the system. That just might be the fact that my iPad is horribly old.
So no, no problem on iPads, but I did hear of problems with iPad Air.
I suggest contacted Periscope team directly; I’ve added the contact info at the bottom of my new Periscope for Android tutorial: https://trafficgenerationcafe.com/periscope-android-tutorial/
Hi Anna. I’ve got the same issue. It was working perfectly ok on my I-pad 2 until I underwent the latest Apple update and now it’s co,img up as half a screen, not able to interact with anyone either. Is this being addressed at all as obviously this must be happening to other iPad 2 users who’ve updated their software.
I must’ve upgraded my iPad; now I see exactly what you are talking about, Mark.
It comes and goes though, strangely enough. Some streams are OK and others are glitchy. I did reboot my iPad and it helped.
I think we’ll just have to wait for the Periscope team to catch up with hardware updates. Sorry I don’t have a better answer.
It can bring a lot of success with live broadcast. It’s such an intimate way to connect and share your passion.
Definitely, Abdul.
Brand new to this HELP! I love watching but how the heck to I sop seeing all the all people’s responses, it completely blocks the video?? What am I missing?
Thanks a million!
Hi, Sandra – you can hide chat completely if, when watching a broadcast, you swipe your screen right on iOS or up on Android. Then you’ll see the option to Hide Chat. No more comments and completely unobscured screen that way. 😉
Enjoy!
Ana: this is great information. Really learned a lot. Thanks for putting it together in one place. I can see how Periscope can really help letting people get to know you. Much better than just video. Now to get busy with a few broadcasts. The only way to learn!
You are so very welcome, Tom, and you are absolutely right – we can only get better!
I havent been blocked, but for some reason some broadcasters cant see my comments that usually do. Its frustrating. Can you help?
This sounds like something you might ask the Periscope team about, Frank. You can email them at help@periscope.tv
Hope you find your answer!
Ana, great site. During live feeds is there a way you can see the tweets but the followers can’t in case people tweet inappropriate comments?
Unfortunately, no, Shawn.
Here are the choices:
1. Every viewer has a choice to hide chat on any broadcast, but you have no control over that.
2. Before you start broadcasting, you can choose to limit the commenters to only people who YOU follow. No one else would be able to comment, but will be able to see comments. Not the best idea, in my opinion – you might end up putting off potential followers if they are not able to take part in the discussion.
Here’s the best solution, I think:
3. BLOCK folks who leave inappropriate comments.
When you block a user on Periscope, that user will not be able to follow you or view any of your broadcasts, chats, or hearts in the app. You will also be unable to follow or see that user’s broadcasts, chats or hearts.
If they can’t view your broadcasts, they can’t comment on them = a lot cleaner broadcasting/viewing experience for everyone.
That’s what I did and my broadcasts are much more peaceful now.
Timely post for me personally Ana. Not sure if it’s just me, or news traveling slowly down to Australia, but I’ve not heard much of Periscope! First I heard about it was a weekend sports show here using it a few weeks back so diving in right after this comment.
Happy to be of help, Greg. Let me know how you are enjoying Periscope.
I’m new to Periscope. I’ve had 10 broadcasts. None of them are available for replay. They show up as the white box with no replay option. Do I have something in settings set up incorrectly?
Are you still having the same problem, Jeff? Periscope did tweak the app to upload the broadcasts for replays without you having to wait for it – that might’ve been your problem before. That should’ve fixed it.
Great tutorial.
Thanks, Steve.
Thanks for the tutorial very handy for old S@@s like me, it is appreciated on this side of the pond.
Glad to hear it, Dave. 😉
Is there a way to have chat always blocked instead of having to block chat for each individual viewing? I find the chat comments are so many when viewing that I can’t see the actual screen that I want to see, and by the time I figure out how to block chat, the session is over. Thank you.
Unfortunately, no, Va.
Great blog post Ana!!! Tap on your picture to edit your profile pic. 🙂
Thanks, Sue – I need to edit the tutorial (again!). I’ve been busy writing another tutorial on Periscope for Android; they act like two different apps, don’t they! lol
My partner is using a Samsung Galaxy 4 phone and every time he videos something the screen is black but you can hear the sound. Do you have any idea why this is happening? I have an Iphone so I’m not that familiar with Android devices.
Unfortunately, that seems to be a common problem with S4, Vicky; a friend of mine has that problem as well.
There’s nothing we can do but to wait for Periscope team to release updates that would make the app more compatible to all the various Android devices.
HI there,
I cannot get audio to work while watching a live broadcast. Does anyone know how to get sound to play?
Here’s what Colin suggested in his comment below, Rose; see if that works for you – for lack of a better resolution at the moment:
Let me know if that helps at all.
Using my iPhone 5s and have the volume turned all the way up but am getting no sound from any of the feeds I try to watch. Help!
Seems like a common problem, Paula; here’s what Colin suggested in his comment below; see if that works for you – for lack of a better resolution at the moment:
Let me know if that helps at all.
Hi ana!
Thanks for the tutorial. Is there a chance to schedule a live stream like you can do on meerkat?
Timo
Not at the moment, Timo.
Great tutorial. One question, how do you stop following someone’s broadcast?
You can’t stop ‘following’ a person’s broadcast, Ed; you’d have to stop following the person. For that, just tap on their name wherever you see it and uncheck the follow box.
Sometimes, we see a broadcast in our Watch Tab from someone we don’t actually follow. That happens when someone we do follow shares it with us. There’s not much we can do to stop seeing shared broadcasts, and yes, that could get annoying quickly. Again, the more selective we are with whom we follow to begin with, the more likely we enjoy their broadcasts.
THANK YOU! Just signed up and was searching on some basic how-to’s. One question – I don’t have a section to see my Twitter people to add them – did that go away or do I have a glitch> I can only use the spyglass to type in already-known usernames or use the Most Loved to add people. I know I have Twitter connections who are on here (I searched and added them) so why wouldn’t Periscope suggest them to me. Hmm! Anyway thanks a ton for the tutorial!
You are so very welcome, Karen (and I apologize for a tardy reply).
No, Periscope does still suggest people we follow on Twitter to follow when they join Periscope. I am not sure what Periscope suggestion formula is, but don’t think it’s their goal to suggest everyone. Imagine if you followed a few thousand people, that would be too many suggestions. I think the most I’ve seen Periscope suggest is 5 at a time (I could be wrong though).
Ana,
this tutorial, very helpful especially for me a periscope virgin. Shared by my friend/sista rescumom aka amateur PI
thanks, Carol
You are so very welcome, Carol; thanks for letting me know it was helpful.
Hi Ana!
I love periscope but lately when I go to view live broadcasts the audio isn’t working. I have a clear live view and can tell by other’s comments that they can hear the broadcast. Any ideas as to why I am not hearing the audio. I am using an iPhone 6 plus and yes, I made sure my volume is up and the phone is not on silent.
Thank you so much for this amazing tutorial and taking the time to help all of us.
Tina Chavez
Haven’t heard of anyone else having the same problem, Tina; is it still going on? If so, it might be best to email Periscope support. Sorry I don’t have a better suggestion.
Hi Ana!
Thank you so very much for the response. I am embarassed to say it was my error. I have my wireless headset added to my iPhone’s Bluetooth and for some reason (that I am sure is my doing) occasionally when I opened periscope the audio was going to the wireless ear buds and not my phones speaker. Maybe this will help a fellow periscoper having the same issue.
On a side note: I wanted to mention that I sincerely hope periscope knows how much you are adding to their business. It’s none of my business but, in my humble opinion, Periscope should be paying you or at the very least incentivizing you for the help and information you provide the public regarding their product. You are awesome and I am so thankful for this article and the Q&A’s.
Thank You for all you do!
Tina
SO glad to hear it, Tina!
And thank you, very kind of you indeed. 😉
Hi, i’m seeing more than one person on this comment thread having problems with their audio when the broadcast is too full. I’m having the same issues. Even when I go to playback a broadcast that isn’t live anymore it will still be completely mute…
Indeed, Lherrise – sounds like Periscope has some work to do in the technical department.
For now, all we can do is wait, unfortunately. And try using headphones, as someone else suggested – that worked for him.
I’m having the same issue with my iphone 6 plus : (
Now I see several commenters with the same issue, Linda.
Here’s what Colin suggested in his comment below; see if that works for you – for lack of a better resolution at the moment:
Let me know if that helps at all.
It did work – and now I know what that tiny button is for : D
thanks
Linda
SO glad to hear it!
Suddenly no one can see my comments, what happened?
You must’ve gotten yourself blocked.
Dear Anna, i have the same problem, no on can see my comments. Ive just started using persicope & i wasnt blocked. People can see that i join their stream, but cant see my comments( I sent the request to the administration, but they also dont answer. Also ive noticed that many people have same problem. Can you please give any advice? Thank you!
I so wish I had a better solution, Olena.
Unfortunately, what I am realizing from all the comments on this post is the fact that Periscope app has a lot to be desired. And so does their customer service team…
There’s no solution to this problem. I suggest to restart your phone – sometimes that works. Otherwise, we are stuck waiting for updates that might fix all these various nuances we see.
Great article! But I have a question. I signed into Periscope with my personal Twitter account to check it out. Then I found that I would rather use Periscope with my business Twitter account. But I see no way to change accounts. How would I disconnect periscope from my personal Twitter so I can use my business Twitter?
Thanks!
Just create a new account with your business Twitter account.
I would love to add the feed to my website for our event. Do you have any recommendations other than adding the HTML through the website given. We’re going to have “behind the scenes” at edcamp Global.
Can’t really do that at the moment, Jaime.
You can save your broadcast to the Camera Roll after it’s done, then upload it to your site; that’s about it. Periscope wants your viewers to watch you on Periscope. It does nothing for them to allow you to embed your live broadcasts.
How do I create a second account for work?
You can have as many accounts as you like to, Melissa, as long as you have a corresponding Twitter account to sign up with or a phone number you’d like to create another account with.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend signing up with a phone number though.
I haven’t ever been able to get a broadcast to playback and most times, even if I’m very quick it tells me broadcast is too full even at about 200. I wonder what the number is and will I ever be able to playback and what exactly is the problem with my playback right now?
Not sure how Periscope determines when a broadcast is ‘full’. I’ve seen broadcasts with 48 viewers as ‘full’. I think this is something Periscope team is still working on.
As far as playback is concerned, a broadcaster can choose NOT to save their broadcast for a replay. When they do that, you still see their broadcast listed on the ‘recent broadcasts’ page, but when you try to click on it, nothing happens. That, plus some glitches on Periscope.
I think you might need to find people who are a bit more accessible on Periscope, Melissa. 😉
Thank you very much for a very useful tutorial Tine
Pleasure, Tine.
Is it possible to broadcast in landscape?
Yes, you can broadcast in landscape; unfortunately, everything else (comments, etc) won’t flip vertically, which means a pain in the neck for everyone watching the broadcast.
Periscope team promised to fix that. Hopefully with the next update.
I’m a new periscope user with an iPhone 6. I can view broadcasts and I think I will love this app. Just one problem…I can’t hear any sound?
Not sure why, Steve; haven’t heard anyone else having that problem. Might’ve been a temporary glitch?
I frequently have no sound when watching live. One time I was able to get sound working by terminating Periscope and restarting. Unfortunately this did not work the last couple of times. I am using an iPhone 6 plus.
Unfortunately, seems like a common problem with iPhone6 and 6plus, Bob. The best solution I’ve got is what Colin suggested in his comment below; see if that works for you – for lack of a better resolution at the moment:
Let me know if that helps at all.
I have the same issue, no sound on playback….and there is nothing on the web I see. It’s not operator error….LOL. I will tweet them to see what they say, anyone have a fix?
Here’s what Colin suggested in his comment below, Brian; see if that works for you – for lack of a better resolution at the moment:
Let me know if that helps at all.
In terms of not hearing the audio – I have been having the same “issue” but found if I plug headphones in then the audio is there! A couple of friends have the same but not everyone. Then just as I was writing this I realised I have my iPhone sound off – little flick switch on side – clicked that to on and hey presto…..Hope that solves it for the couple of people you have in this stream.
Thanks so much for chiming in, Colin; I’ll keep that in mind in case I hear someone else with the same issue.
Hey Anna, thank you very much for sharing this because I’ve been waiting for this piece of information for a long time. Really great now I can do Twitter’s Periscope for sure after reading article.
Pleasure, Saddam.
Never used Periscope before. Actually, I just heard about this app for first time, though I think that it is still not available for Android devices. I would definitely want to test it, even my main business probably wont benefit much of it.
Probably because this app has only been released and marketed by Twitter a couple of weeks ago. And true, the fact that it’s still unavailable on Android doesn’t help.
I’ve been trying to replay a Periscope from 19 hours ago and I scroll down to Most recent and tap on it but it doesn’t start playing. I’ve watched other broadcasts over again by the same person and usually i tap it and it loads and plays. Any help?
It’s happened to me a few times before, Carmen.
I noticed that sometimes Periscope glitches when saving a replay (as if it’s stuck in buffering mode), and the result is exactly what you see: the replay seems to be there, but there’s no ‘click to play’ button, so you can’t actually replay it.
Hope it’s one of those things that will be fixed by the Periscope team in the near future.
The Periscope iTunes preview states that it is compatible with iPad but it appears that the app is only downloadable for iPhones. Am I missing something?
I have it downloaded on both of my iPads, Mike. I’d recommend you Google ‘download Periscope iTunes’ (or something similar) from your iPad, then follow the link to download it from there. Let me know if it works.
Thank you this is helpful but unfortunately I have a Samsung Android but I’ve been thinking about getting an iPhone…I have just been a PC & Samsung user for years so it’s making a change that I have to get on with 🙂 Can you comment if the person you are watching is not following you? Just curious!
I know what you mean, Shirley – I have an Android as well. I have to borrow my husband’s or my daughter’s iGadgets to do Periscope. I am sure Periscope team is working hard on getting that Android app out soon.
To answer your question: yes and no.
Generally, you should be able to comment on any Periscope broadcast – unless the broadcaster chooses to use a new setting where they can limit the commentators to people whom they follow only.
Can you share an old broadcast with followers?
Sorry for delay in response, Kirk – I actually had to do a fresh broadcast just to test it out to answer your question.
Currently, you can only share live broadcasts with followers. Not sure if that ever changes.
Hi
I’ve downloaded Periscope and have been dabbling with it for 2 or 3 days, but every time I broadcast live I get 0 viewers. I have checked and I am broadcasting to the public not private. Any ideas?
Thanks
Mark
It’s not unusual, Mark. Now that more and more people are jumping in, it’s getting noisy and people are more selective as to what/whom they are watching.
A couple of pointers:
1. Make sure your title is clickable.
2. Work on acquiring more followers. Connect with others on their broadcasts. Your followers are much more likely to join you during your broadcasts over a few random strangers who just happened to see it.
Just like any social network, this one will take some work on our part.
What is your Periscope username?
Hi Anna… awesome tutorial.. I have been using Periscope for 5 days now.. and think a) live streaming is awesome and b) Periscope is amazing, dead easy to use by everyone, great picture and sound quality…I really would highly suggest it for all to try….This could be a huge way for people to get more business….The things that people can live stream are endless and it can certainly help smaller businesses with little or no marketing budgets to get their name / product / service out to the big world…
I have already followed you on Periscope.. I am @markshaw on there….If anyone else tweets me @markshaw, I can then follow them as well…. cheers Mark Shaw
I absolutely agree, Mark – the potential for businesses is incredible. Glad to hear you are enjoying Periscope and I am sure I’ll see you around there!
Hey Ana,
So that’s what Periscope is all about. Here’s the thing, I’m rarely on my phone. That’s why I don’t have an Instagram account either. I hate signing up for stuff, even just to grab my name, when I know I’ll never use it. I’m just not a big cell phone user mainly because I’m at home all day on my computer so I prefer to do things online.
I can see though how this could really swamp your Twitter feed if everyone jumps on board and starts sharing what they’re doing. Gosh, I hope it doesn’t come to that but streaming videos are pretty cool when it’s good information or I’m a sucker for cute animals. Yeah, they get me every time.
Thanks for letting me know what the heck this is. Great write up now, your instructions were spot on.
Will be on the lookout for what everyone thinks about this one and curious to see if it will be sticking around.
~Adrienne
I agree with you more than you know, Adrienne.
I just got my first smartphone last week. Last week! For the same reasons you mentioned – I am attached at the hip to my laptop and the last thing I want to do is to be on the phone when I am away from it.
With that being said, I decided it’s a bit strange for me to be writing my Weekly Marketing Skinnies about social media platforms I actually knew nothing about. Like Instagram. Or Vine. Or now Periscope.
So now I am making the effort to learn about the mobile world. I realize that even though I am not a big fan, a lot of my readers are. I don’t want to do them a disservice of talking about something I don’t know much about.
Those are my personal reasons. Again, I completely understand where you are coming from as well.
Finally got around to actually reading an not just scanning this post.
Oh boy. Sometimes I’m so torn. On one hand, I want to keep up because I know it’s relevant but on the other hand…. I just want to curl into a ball and transport myself back to Internet Marketing in 2005 when things were much simpler. LOL
I share many of your sentiments Adrienne and Ana but I really appreciate you laying out exactly how all this works. Had it not been for your well-written post I may have never really looked into this further.
I can always count on a juicy post that’s full of info when I come here. It will be interesting to see if this takes off.
Thanks again, Ana!
I know – sooooo much to keep up with!
I’ll be looking for you on Periscope, Lisa. (I don’t believe you have created an account yet, or have it missed you?)
HI Ana, how do I get my pic to show up? I just added a pic to my twitter account, but it doesn’t show up on Periscope.
Good question, Tammy…
Let’s try this: log out of your Twitter account and log out of your Periscope account on your mobile device. Then log into Twitter, then Periscope. This way, Periscope will be forced to reconnect and might pick up your new pic.
Let me know if it works.
Hi Ana,
Do you think that twitter will be able to separate the log in from the main twitter site in regards to periscope? also will issues involving separate picture and visible name be addressed?
Thank you for your continued help.
laup111
Great questions, Paul; here are some answers – to the best of my knowledge.
1. I don’t think Twitter and Periscope will have a separate logins ever. It wouldn’t make much sense; Twitter needs Periscope connection at all times.
2. If I had to guess, you should be able to change your Periscope profile photo and name as some point in the future. When? Your guess is as good as mine.
Thanks for coming by!
I think this is a neat concept, but I’m in no rush to join.
If I ever do, I’ll be sure to follow you, Ana.
And Harleena, too. 😉
I understand, Lorraine.
One thing I’d strongly suggest you do NOW though is to simply sign up and claim your username.
I just had a very unpleasant experience with Instagram. I haven’t signed up for it till now (just got my first smartphone last week). When I went to sign up for it, I realized (took me a while!) that someone had created an Instagram account with my email address.
Fortunately, I figured out how to delete that account, but lesson learned!
Plus securing our name/brand name is so important these days.
Great advice to claim your username. Thanks Ana 🙂
Pleasure, Anthea.
I got new username on Periscope, how can I change for other one?
Twitter @WMvpr
Thanks
Once you choose your username, Walde, it can’t be changed, unfortunately.
Hi Ana,
Never heard of periscope, so this is great news indeed 🙂
I am glad the weekend is near so one can check this one out! I loved the hearts most of all, what a nice way of showing the love. I liked the concept of broadcast or watch others broadcast, something interesting. Oh yes, once there, I’d be sure to follow you Ana!
Thanks for sharing this with us. Happy weekend 🙂
Even though Periscope has been around for a while, Twitter purchased it only a couple of months ago and they ‘released it into the wild’ on Thursday.
So you are not late for anything, Harleena. Just in time. 😉
Let me know how you like it!