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How to watch and search for broadcasts on Periscope

How to watch a broadcast

You can watch Periscope broadcasts on Periscope and X on iOS, Android, and web.

On Periscope, the Watch Tab is where you go to watch live broadcasts and replays from people you follow, curated  broadcasts in channels, and broadcasts shared with you.

You can go to the Watch Tab by clicking the TV icon, located on the far left of your control panel.

The Global Feed (you view this, tap the globe icon) is where recent live broadcasts and replays are surfaced from across Periscope. You can select either the list or map view and sort your feed to include the most suggested, recent, or popular broadcasts using the icon in the upper right corner of the screen. If you select the list view, you’ll see several curated channels. You have the option to hide any of these channels from your feed by tapping the more icon and selecting the hide option. To unhide channels, you can go to Settings > Channel Preferences > Hidden Channels and tap the channels you’d like to unhide.

Broadcasts shared with you by the people you follow or through your groups will appear in this feed with an indicator above the broadcast title showing who shared it with you.

Live broadcasts will autoplay in the Watch Tab and Global Feed without sound on X for iOS and Android.

On iOS, you can use background audio to listen to a broadcast. Background audio allows you to listen to Periscope broadcasts when you’ve turned your screen off or you’re using other apps. Audio only streams also use less data, so you can switch to background audio when your network connection is not strong enough to support video streams. You can turn on background audio in your Periscope settings.

How to share a broadcast 

You can share a live public broadcast you're watching with all or some of your followers on Periscope by swiping right on iOS and swiping up on Android, then tapping Share. The shared broadcast will show up on your follower’s Watch Tab. You may also have the option to share it on X (for accounts created with a X account). Alternatively, you can copy the link to share.

To share a replay that you’re watching, swipe right on iOS or swipe up on Android and tap Share to share it on X (for accounts created with a X account) or to copy the link to share. Your options may vary based on your OS and account.

Periscope broadcasts can be embedded within posts, allowing them to be shared and viewed anywhere posts appear. When you post your broadcasts to X they will be embedded, meaning that they can be watched and shared through the post.

Why is there no sound when I watch replays?

Your Periscope app's sound is controlled by your device's sound settings. If the volume is turned up on your device, but you’re still not getting any sound, check if the mute switch on the side of your device is turned off. The switch is located just above the volume control on the side of your device for iOS. On Android, be sure that your device isn't set to vibrate. 

How do I jump forward and back in a replay?

When watching a broadcast in replay on X for iOS or Android, press and hold to instantly jump to any part of the replay. Thumbnail previews will help guide you as you seek forward and backwards. 

On web, use the seek bar at the beginning of a replay to jump to another part of the video. If the seek bar disappears, hover over the screen (below the broadcast title) to reveal the scrubber.

What are timestamps and how do I use them?

Timestamps allow you to share and discuss the exact part of a broadcast that matters most, the second it happens.

Now, you have the control to select the exact part of a broadcast you care about, and share it with your Periscope followers, on X, or as a link. The broadcast will start to play at the exact part you selected, so you can talk about it right away. 

After viewers have caught up on the selected part, they can jump ahead to watch the broadcast in real-time. Public broadcasts can be shared using timestamps as long as they have not been deleted.

How to share a broadcast section
Step 1

Tap the  icon at the bottom of the broadcast screen.

Step 2

Select either Share Live (or Share From Beginning, if in replay mode), or Share From (insert timestamp). In the first option, the video will start to play live (or from the beginning, if in replay mode). In the second option, the broadcast will start to play at the exact part you select. 

Step 3

You can tap and hold to scrub forwards and backwards, to choose the exact part you want to share. When choosing a section to share, keep in mind that only the previous two minutes of the broadcast can be shared. For example, if you select a moment 12 minutes into a broadcast, you can share it starting at the 10 minute mark and ending at 12 minutes.

Step 4

Select who you want to share the broadcast with. You can choose to share to All Followers, Specific Followers, X, or Share Link.

  • Tapping All Followers will share the broadcast with all of your Periscope followers automatically. 

Step 5

Choosing Share Link will pull up a menu from which you can select where you want to share the link. You will be able to share the link to select apps on your device or you can tap Copy to share the link outside of the Periscope app.

Step 6

If you select Specific Followers, you will be prompted to select which Groups or Mutuals you would like to share the broadcast with. If you choose X, you will have the option to edit your Post before tapping Post.

Step 1

Tap the  icon at the bottom of the broadcast screen.

Step 2

Select either Share Live (or Share From Beginning, if in replay mode), or Share From (insert timestamp). In the first option, the video will start to play live (or from the beginning, if in replay mode). In the second option, the broadcast will start to play at the exact part you select. 

Step 3

You can tap and hold to scrub forwards and backwards, to choose the exact part you want to share. When choosing a section to share, keep in mind that only the previous two minutes of the broadcast can be shared. For example, if you select a moment 12 minutes into a broadcast, you can share it starting at the 10 minute mark and ending at 12 minutes.

Step 4

Select who you want to share the broadcast with. You can choose to share to All Followers, Specific Followers, X, or Share Link.

  • Tapping All Followers will share the broadcast with all of your Periscope followers automatically. 

Step 5

Choosing Share Link will pull up a menu from which you can select where you want to share the link. You will be able to share the link to select apps on your device or you can tap Copy to share the link outside of the Periscope app.

Step 6

If you select Specific Followers, you will be prompted to select which Groups or Mutuals you would like to share the broadcast with. If you choose X, you will have the option to edit your Post before tapping Post.

Step 1

Tap the Share icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Step 2

The Share Broadcast screen will pop up. Use the sliding bar to scrub forwards and backwards, to choose the exact part you want to share.

Step 3

Select Post, Share, or Copy Link. 

Step 4

Click Done. 

Step 5

If you select Post, you will have the option to edit your Post before clicking Post.

Step 6

If you choose to Copy Link, the link will be copied automatically for you to share.

Notes:

Live video timestamps are also supported on X.

How to view broadcasts on TV

You can experience Periscope broadcasts from your Apple TV (4th generation).

Start by downloading the Periscope app from the App Store on your Apple TV. There won't be an option to sign up for or log in to an existing account, but you'll be able to view live and replay broadcasts as usual. You'll also be able send hearts by tapping the touch surface on the Siri remote and read comments from other people watching with you.

You can swipe down on the touch surface to skip to the next broadcast, hide/show comments and hearts, and report sensitive content. Select the menu button to return to the main menu for an entirely fresh collection of places to go. If a broadcast you're watching ends, Periscope will automatically take you to the next destination.

If you notice that the borders of an image are drawn beyond the normally visible area, you can adjust the image by using overscan compensation on your TV or on the Apple TV Settings.

How to search for broadcasts

Getting your broadcasts discovered on Periscope has never been easier.

In the Global Feed (to view this, tap the globe icon), simply select the search icon to find broadcasts by title. You can also search for broadcasts by city, state, or country. 

When you tap on the search icon, you'll see a list of suggested tags, such as travel, music, food and more. Click on a tag to view live and replay videos related to that topic.

To broadcast about a topic, simply tap the Broadcast button in the topic's search results to add the relevant hashtags to your title. Using these tags will ensure that your broadcasts are more easily discovered.

 

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