Twitter's hot Periscope arrives on Android

After weeks of speculation and anticipation, Twitter is launching its wildly popular Periscope live-streaming app for Android users.

The microblogging service announced Tuesday its broadcasting app, which lets users stream and edit live video, will be available on the Google Play store. Periscope's debut on Android devices comes less than three months after its launch and less than a month after after rival Meerkat appeared on Android.

Periscope has been a huge success for Twitter since its debut on iOS hot on the heels of Meerkat. The social network said Periscope had more than 1 million users within its first 10 days. Periscope's app for Android will comparable features to its iOS counterpart, including allowing users to tweet a link to their broadcasts and have optional location sharing.

The app also will give Android users more specific control over notifications, including when a follower goes lives, shares a broadcast or is followed by someone else. Also, if an Android user leaves a broadcast to answer a text message, they will get a notification inviting them back to the broadcast they were watching.

"It will be unmistakably Periscope with a look and feel that is Android-specific," said Sara Haider, Twitter's lead engineer for Android.

Live video is quickly becoming an important elements for social networks as more people are broadcasting their personal lives -- from celebrating at parties to demonstrating at protests -- on the Internet. There are also potential revenue opportunities as marketers look to how they can make money and advertise with individualized video feeds.

:story: c|net