No more wondering when Periscope for Android is coming: The Twitter-owned live streaming app released an Android version on Tuesday, exactly two months after it launched on iOS.
The Android version closely resembles Periscope on iOS, but takes some design cues from Google’s operating system, particularly in areas like notifications. It also carries over several touches found in more recent updates, like the ability to hide comments in a broadcast.
The Periscope team added a few small, new features to the Android app. You’ll have more control over the kinds of notifications you want to see; you can toggle on or off when someone you’re following starts streaming, when someone shares a broadcast, when someone follows you, or when a Periscope newbie broadcasts for the first time.
If you exit a live stream to check another app, you’ll see a notification the next time you’re in Periscope that acts as a quick shortcut back to that broadcast.
Both features are unique to Android for now, but expect them to wind up in a future iOS update soon.
Periscope for Android comes a few weeks after rival Meerkat arrived on the platform, a move that doesn’t seem to have hurt its popularity, at least among media. Immediately following the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight earlier this month, Periscope galvanized conversations, not Meerkat.
When it comes to user base, it’s less clear who’s winning.Twitter announced in late April that Periscope snagged million users during its first 10 days of availability.
Meerkat founder and CEO Ben Rubin, meanwhile, revealed earlier this month that his app was approaching 2 million users.
Mobile research firm App Annie suggests Meerkat demand has significantly dipped.
On Monday, Meerkat ranked No. 161 on iOS and No. 75 on Android for most downloaded app in the social networking category; Periscope, then, ranked #20 for iOS.
Expect demand for Periscope on Android to mirror, if not, top that in the days following its release.
Credit: Mashable.com