This article was published on April 11, 2016

Periscope tests letting you draw on top of your live video streams


Periscope tests letting you draw on top of your live video streams

The current beta version of Twitter’s video streaming app Periscope includes a feature that lets you draw over the top of your own live feeds.

The new tool lets you draw in three primary colors or use a dropper to select a color from your live video. The doodles fade out after a couple of seconds, meaning that they’re likely to mostly be used for highlighting people or objects in a live feed.

TNW’s Matt Navarra demoed the feature in a live video today:

As this is a beta feature, it’s not certain that it will ever emerge in the public build of Periscope (update: see Twitter’s comment below), but it’s a fun addition that recalls the more permanent sketches you can draw on top of photos and videos in Snapchat.

Periscope drawing tool

While beta features in apps tend to be subject to non-disclosure agreements with users, we understand that the Periscope team is keen for the sketching tool to be used and shared in the wild.

Update: A statement provided to Tech Radar notes: “”We’re testing Sketching with a small group of people. This feature makes it fun and easy for broadcasters to draw on the screen while broadcasting. Coming in a few weeks for everyone!”

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