Some Features and Upgrades for Telegram in the App Store and Other Time-Dependent Services (Preliminary Public Comment)
Other minor features include new animated and interactive emoji, a new progress animation on Android, and the ability for group admins to hide their member lists. This package of updates adds to the list of several other features Telegram added over the course of the last few months, including a way for Telegram users to sign up without a phone number and video transcription for Premium users.
The video messaging feature can be accessed by tapping a button on the video but will only be available to Telegram Premium users. A Telegram Premium subscription costs $4.99 a month and comes with additional benefits such as faster downloads, no ads, and a larger file upload limit of 4GB.
Telegram has also introduced new features for free users, starting with Topics in Groups. Groups with more than 200 members are able to create separate areas with their own notifications, as long as they don’t integrate with the larger group. The set-up is similar to Discord servers that have a single overarching focus but also side channels for more specific conversations. Telegram has a public group where you can test the feature yourself.
Fragment can be used for the purchase and sale of Collectible Usernames, a NFT-inspired asset secured by the TON blockchain network. Telegram says these names are similar to regular usernames in that they can be less than 5 characters long and can be used outside of Telegram.
Telegram apologized for the delayed release and said it took Apple two weeks to review the update. Telegram founder Pavel Durov gave additional details in a dedicated post, saying “Apple claims they review apps within 24 hours, but, in our experience, it takes at least 7-10 days for any meaningful product update to reach the App Store.” Durov has previously accused Apple of delays in updates and of removing the ability for users to create pay-to-view posts in the App Store because of strict App Store guidelines.
Telegram’s latest update includes an overhauled media editor outfitted with a bunch of new tools to decorate — or conceal — parts of your image or videos. Telegram has introduced a new blur tool that will allow you to block out certain areas in a photo or video, hide sensitive information, or blur the faces of people in the background.
It said that its drawing tools aredynamically change width depending on how fast you draw and automatically smooths out lines. Telegram added a way to quickly add shapes in the editor, by tapping the “plus” icon. And if you don’t want your recipient to see what you’re sending right away, you can now apply a spoiler effect that adds a “shimmering layer” to an image or video that hides its contents until your recipient taps it.
Telegram has new storage options that let you exclude chats of your choice and also automatically remove data in private chats after a certain period of time. While Telegram previously let you clear your cache across all chats, this should make it easier to free up space automatically without affecting important conversations. The new pie chart allows you to see how much storage different types of files are taking up.
There are also some other new settings that allow you to choose profile pictures for contacts that only you’ll see — perfect if you have a certain unflattering picture you’d like to be reminded of each time someone messages you. They can swap out profile pictures for specific contacts you suggest, if they like what you choose. If you limit the visibility of your profile picture to your contacts only, Telegram gives you the option to set a public profile picture that everyone can see. Even if you don’t want anyone to see your picture, you can keep your visibility to “nobody” if you don’t want your Contacts to see it.