Periscope streaming app spreads to Android smartphones

SAN FRANCISCO - Twitter launched its Periscope application on Android-powered devices on Tuesday as the battle for live-streaming video spread to the world's leading smartphone platform.

A version of Periscope tailored for Android, the KitKat version or newer, debuted at the Google Play shop as Twitter stepped up its offensive on rival video-streaming application Meerkat.

"When we started Periscope, we wanted to build the closest thing to teleportation - by providing users with the best way to start or watch a live video broadcast," the Periscope team said in an online post.

"Our initial launch was limited to just ( Apple's) iOS, but we've been working really hard to craft an experience that feels special on Android, yet still unmistakably Periscope." A version of Periscope for Apple iPhones was released in late March.

The Periscope app, like Meerkat, allows anyone to stream live video to a wide audience with their smartphone.

Meerkat became a virtual overnight sensation on its debut earlier this year. But Twitter soon blocked access to a function that allowed the video to spread further within the social network.