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Twitter to Discontinue Vine Mobile App

The six-second looping video app is going away.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Sorry, Vine fans. The six-second looping video app is going away.

In a surprising move, Twitter on Thursday announced it will be discontinuing the Vine mobile app in the coming months. The announcement comes after Twitter today confirmed plans to lay off approximately 9 percent of its global workforce, or about 350 workers, as part of a company restructuring.

This may be an upsetting time for the Vine faithful, but rest assured that nothing is happening to the apps, website, or your Vines just yet. Twitter will notify users before it makes any changes.

"We value you, your Vines, and are going to do this the right way," the Vine team and Twitter wrote in a blog post. "You'll be able to access and download your Vines. We'll be keeping the website online because we think it's important to still be able to watch all the incredible Vines that have been made."

The team promised to work closely with creators "to make sure your questions are answered." Expect more details in the weeks and months to come, and notifications via the app when things start to change.

"To all the creators out there — thank you for taking a chance on this app back in the day," the team wrote. "And of course, thank you to all of those who came to watch and laugh every day."

Vine in June started moving beyond 6-second videos with a beta feature that lets you post videos up to 140 seconds. The app has made an effort to foster "Vine stars" to rival those who got their start on YouTube, but while a number of Vines have gone viral, six seconds is not a lot of time to make a connection with an audience. It's also faced increased competition from Snapchat and Instagram, both of which allow people to post quick videos.

Meanwhile, Twitter CEO CEO Jack Dorsey in a statement today about the restructuring said the company plans to focus on driving growth by improving the core Twitter service. "We have a clear plan, and we're making the necessary changes to ensure Twitter is positioned for long-term growth," he said.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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