Periscope’s New Features: Broadcast Search, Drones And Saving Your Stream

Periscope are launching three major new features in the coming weeks. Broadcast search, drone support and — finally — the ability to save broadcasts beyond 24 hours.

Image: Prathan Chorruangsak / Shutterstock.com

“In the coming weeks,” Periscope says, you’ll be able to search for broadcasts by title or topic. Here’s how it will work: when you tap on the search button in the Global List, you’ll see a list of suggested topics to search for, including #Travel, #Music, #Food and more. To broadcast about a topic, tap the Broadcast button in the topic’s search results to add the relevant hashtag, or add the hashtag to your title directly.

Periscope are also testing two “special” topics that you can search for. In “First Scope” you can welcome new broadcasters to the Periscope community. In “GoPros and Drones” you can find broadcasts from GoPros and, for the first time, drones.

To broadcast from a supported DJI drone, you’ll need to connect your iPhone to your drone’s remote. Periscope will automatically pull in your drone’s video feed and let you switch between it, your iPhone cameras and your GoPro. During your broadcast, you can narrate from a bird’s eye view using your phone or “Sketch” on the broadcast to highlight different sights.

Anyone with an iPhone and a supported DJI drone will be able to start broadcasting “in the coming weeks”.

Last week, Periscope introduced a public beta for you to add #save to your broadcasts to keep them beyond 24 hours. Here’s an example of what it will look like.

“Our goal is to give you full control of your broadcasts,” Periscope said.

When the new feature is implemented (“in the coming weeks”) your broadcasts will be automatically saved on Periscope and Twitter with comments and hearts. Should you change your mind, you can still delete your broadcasts at any time in the post-broadcast screen or in your profile.

If you prefer the old system of your broadcasts being deleted within after 24 hours you can — you’ll need to opt out in the settings.


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