<metaproperty="og:description"content="Today we're making it easier to exchange contact info on Telegram and introducing a way to host location-based public communities.">
<ahref="/file/464001499/1/z7yRs5uf-PE.228615/d9f270f7c0c8973075"target="_blank"><imgsrc="/file/464001958/1/Z3JgyvfqD-c.82175/1742eb11e697750e9a"srcset="/file/464001499/1/z7yRs5uf-PE.228615/d9f270f7c0c8973075, 1200w"title="Fun fact: You won't find any funny alt texts in Telegram blog posts before this one – except on one page. And no, I'm not telling you which one."alt="Telegram 5.8: Adding Contacts Without Phone Numbers, Location-Based Chats and More"/></a>
</div>
<p>In the previous update, we improved <ahref="https://telegram.org/blog/privacy-discussions-web-bots">privacy settings</a> and added a way for you to <ahref="https://telegram.org/blog/privacy-discussions-web-bots#who-can-see-my-phone-number">control</a> who can see your phone number. Today we're making it easier to <strong>exchange contact info</strong> on Telegram.</p>
<p>All new chats now have an <strong>Add to Contacts</strong> button at the top. This allows you to quickly add <strong>anyone</strong> who messages you to your Telegram contacts, even if you don't know their phone number yet.</p>
<ahref="/file/464001631/1/F-_-vAcONP4.106296/d1a4c5f258a80758de"target="_blank"><imgsrc="/file/464001725/1/sLl1wtZPYSs.24847/9d1d386cb887df542a"title="Uniform buttons in any new chat"alt="Add/Block Buttons in a Chat"srcset="/file/464001631/1/F-_-vAcONP4.106296/d1a4c5f258a80758de , 2x"/></a>
</div>
<p>If you'd prefer they disappeared instead, the <strong>Block</strong> button is right next door.</p>
<h3><aclass="anchor"name="add-people-nearby"href="#add-people-nearby"><iclass="anchor-icon"></i></a>Add People Nearby</h3>
<p>Ever scrambled for business cards at a beach party? Or dropped somebody's phone into the pool in a “let me type in my number for you” moment? Worry no more.</p>
<p>Simply open <em>Contacts > Add People Nearby</em> to quickly <strong>exchange contact info</strong> with Telegram users who are <strong>standing next to you</strong> (and also have this section open).</p>
<divclass="blog_video_player_wrap"style="max-width: 400px; margin: 20px auto 20px;">
<videoclass="blog_video_player tl_blog_vid_autoplay"onclick="videoTogglePlay(this)"autoplayloopcontrolsmutedposter="/file/464001736/1/v8cwF2n-V5s.75257/0d759efd60ac818e6c"style="max-width: 400px;"title="Adding contacts from 'People Nearby'"alt="Adding contacts from 'People Nearby'">
<p>This feature comes in especially handy when several people meet to perform the take-my-number dance. Now you can catch all your pokémon in just a few taps.</p>
<p>Speaking of pokémon, the new People Nearby section also shows <strong>Groups Nearby</strong>– location-based group chats open for anyone around to join.</p>
<divclass="blog_video_player_wrap"style="max-width: 400px; margin: 20px auto 20px;">
<videoclass="blog_video_player tl_blog_vid_autoplay"onclick="videoTogglePlay(this)"autoplayloopcontrolsmutedposter="/file/464001221/2/iBxGpksIOOI.60606/1bd0e8d6ef9e0ef9f0"style="max-width: 400px;"title="Groups nearby"alt="Joining a group nearby">
<p>Tap <strong>Create a Local Group</strong> to unite your dormitory or apartment building, and maybe you can get Todd in 2C to finally turn his music down.</p>
<p>This update opens up a new world of location-based group chats for anything from conferences, to festivals, to stadiums, to campuses, to chatting with people hanging out in the same cafe.</p>
<h3><aclass="anchor"name="transfer-group-chats"href="#transfer-group-chats"><iclass="anchor-icon"></i></a>Transfer Group Chats</h3>
<p>If you ever get tired of being the host of your group, you can pass the burden on to another administrator. Telegram apps now support transferring ownership rights from any <strong>groups</strong> and <strong>channels</strong> to other users.</p>
<p>Grant full admin rights to your Chosen One to see the <strong>Transfer Ownership</strong> button.</p>
<ahref="/file/464001145/1/hlhoTGVKSV4.163774/a9a2de2dcf1b1ecbed"target="_blank"><imgsrc="/file/464001800/1/aevoBVuYzHQ.46119/b80aed7d5e98a3db65"title="Transfer group ownership"alt="Transfer group ownership"srcset="/file/464001145/1/hlhoTGVKSV4.163774/a9a2de2dcf1b1ecbed , 2x"/></a>
</div>
<p>Whether your watch has ended, or you have some business to attend to in King's Landing, passing the torch is a simple, two-tap affair.</p>
<p>Notification Exceptions just got more powerful. You can now toggle <strong>message previews</strong> for specific chats. If you have many exceptions, use <strong>Search</strong> to find the right chat — or <strong>‘Delete All’</strong> to get back to square one instantly.</p>
<p>Owners of iOS devices can now use <ahref="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209055">Siri shortcuts</a> to open chats with people. No hands just got no-handsomer.</p>
<h3><aclass="anchor"name="theme-picker-and-icon-style"href="#theme-picker-and-icon-style"><iclass="anchor-icon"></i></a>Theme Picker and Icon style</h3>
<p>We've also revamped the <strong>Appearance</strong> settings on iOS so that it's easier to see what the different themes will look like even before you apply them.</p>
<ahref="/file/464001041/1/8z8mTlhCNGU.131534/02bafeae86c0f1512d"target="_blank"><imgsrc="/file/464001227/1/2tHv2H5_-Gc.37870/2b6c69bd523e8a04e6"title="New theme picker on iOS"alt="New theme picker on iOS"srcset="/file/464001041/1/8z8mTlhCNGU.131534/02bafeae86c0f1512d , 2x"/></a>
</div>
<p>A while back, the <ahref="https://telegram.org/blog/telegram-x">Telegram X</a> app for <strong>iOS</strong> was promoted, becoming the <strong>official</strong> Telegram, and its previous shell was removed from the store. If you are still using it for some reason, this is a good time to switch — ol' Telegram X is now three versions behind the main branch.</p>
<p>Some users told us they didn't want to switch because they liked the Telegram X icon better. So this update adds a way for your iOS app icon to get back in black:</p>
<ahref="/file/464001949/1/Qzm6fwYz9aA.48175/1a30dc952e47878272"target="_blank"><imgsrc="/file/464001305/1/A_YhtWAGEPY.15915/b22b4c1d982a105d28"title="Pick your poison"alt="Pick your poison"srcset="/file/464001949/1/Qzm6fwYz9aA.48175/1a30dc952e47878272 , 2x"/></a>
</div>
<p>By the way, Telegram X for <strong>Android</strong> is still there and is not going anywhere for now. If you're looking for an alternative interface, feel free to <ahref="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thunderdog.challegram&hl=en">give it a try</a>.</p>
<ahref="https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftelegram.org%2Fblog%2Fcontacts-local-groups&text=Adding%20contacts%20made%20easier%2C%20location-based%20group%20chats%2C%20transfer%20group%20ownership%20and%20more."class="tl_telegram_share_btn"id="tl_telegram_share_btn"data-text="Adding contacts made easier, location-based group chats, transfer group ownership and more."data-url="https://telegram.org/blog/contacts-local-groups"><iclass="tl_telegram_share_icon"></i><spanclass="tl_telegram_share_label"target="_blank">Forward</span></a>
<ahref="https://twitter.com/share"class="tl_twitter_share_btn"id="tl_twitter_share_btn"data-text="Adding contacts made easier, location-based group chats, transfer group ownership and more."data-url="https://telegram.org/blog/contacts-local-groups"data-via="Telegram">Tweet <spanclass="tl_twitter_share_cnt"></span></a>
<h4class="dev_blog_card_title">My Profile, Recommended Channels and 15 More Features</h4>
<divclass="dev_blog_card_lead">This month we've added more than 15 new features, including recommended channels, a way to view your own profile and display your channel…</div>
<h4class="dev_blog_card_title">Sticker Editor — Create Your Own Stickers</h4>
<divclass="dev_blog_card_lead">Starting today, anyone can quickly create stickers and entire sticker sets using a new powerful editor — without leaving Telegram.</div>
<divclass="dev_blog_card_lead">Starting today, anyone can turn their Telegram account into a business account – and get access to business features, such as opening hours, location, quick replies, automated messages…</div>
<h4class="dev_blog_card_title">Sharing Revenue with Channel Owners</h4>
<divclass="dev_blog_card_lead">Today, we're introducing one of the most generous reward systems in the history of social media. Telegram channel owners can now receive 50% of the revenue from ads displayed in their…</div>
