So if you're a fan of chronology, please jump to the end and scroll up from there. This page gets updated each time a new post hits the Telegram blog.
Live Streams, Flexible Forwarding, Jump to Next Channel, Trending Stickers and More
+Live video with unlimited viewers became available for both groups and channels. Voice chats were renamed to Video Chats (in groups) and Live Streams (in channels).
+Forwarded Messages gained a new preview window, in which users could hide sender names from messages or hide captions from media.
+Swiping up at the bottom of the channel instantly jumped to a user’s next unread channel – so they could easily catch up on all their news without going back to the chat list.
+A new bar for Trending Stickers was added to the sticker panel, letting you browse the latest packs and find new favorites. It also became easier to change the order of your sticker packs – simply hold and drag one of the thumbnails in the top bar.
+The status ‘Choosing a Sticker’ was created, letting users know when their chat partner was looking for the perfect animated reply.
+When opening a comment thread in a channel, unread messages got a new counter showing the number of unread responses.
+On Telegram since August 31, 2021:
+Video Calls with up to 1000 Viewers, Video Messages 2.0, Video Playback Speed and More
+This update introduced scores of new features for all things video. Group Video Calls could now have up to 1000 viewers (previously 30), in addition to unlimited audio-only listeners.
+Video Messages got a brand new look – recording in higher resolution with options to expand the message and fast-**forward** or rewind while watching. Additionally, audio from your device would continue playing while you recorded, and you could zoom in when recording with the rear camera.
+The media player received three new playback speeds – 0.5x, 1.5x and 2x – giving the users to slow down or speed up fullscreen videos.
+Timestamps got unique links, which could be copied and pasted anywhere to share specific moments.
+Screen Sharing was added to 1-on-1 video calls (previously existed in groups), and included sound from the users device when broadcasting in both individual and group video calls.
+New prompts in Settings helped users practice their Two-Step Verification password – and gave new options to reset it if they had forgotten the password but were still logged in to their account.
+On Telegram since July 30, 2021:
+Desktop-specific:
+iOS-specific:
+Animated Chat Backgrounds were added to all default themes – moving beautifully with each message. Users could pick from dozens of presets or create their own custom backgrounds with 3 or 4 colors in the theme editor.
+New sending animations were given to stickers and emoji, making them jump from the keyboard to the chat.
+A menu button was created for chats with bots, displaying all its commands as well as placeholders to give users an example of what to send. Bot developers also got the ability to display flexible lists of commands that change based on a user’s language, chat type, admin status and more.
+We released an API to help developers build tools that let users import stickers from other apps, or easily make stickers from their own content.
+On Telegram since June 25, 2021:
+iOS-specific:
+Group Video Calls came to Telegram, adding video to (now awkwardly named) voice chats in groups. Users could turn on their camera or share their screen from any device – including tablets and desktop.
+Tablets and Desktops got custom display options – including an expanding side panel for split-screen mode. Desktop also offered selective screensharing, letting users choose a specific program to broadcast.
+Noise supression was implemented in voice chats, eliminating background noise and boosting audio quality on all devices.
+On Telegram since June 25, 2021
+ +Desktop-specific:
+ +Payments 2.0, Scheduled Voice Chats, New Web Versions
+Payments 2.0, Scheduled Voice Chats, New Web Versions
Payments were first supported in chats with Telegram bots in 2017. This time, merchants received the ability to accept credit cards in any Telegram chat using one of 8 integrated payment providers. Telegram doesn't store credit card info and charges no commission.
Voice Chats were further improved with scheduling, showing a countdown timer and allowing users to get a notification when the chat starts.
Two new web versions were launched, adding full support for features like animated stickers, chat folders and dark mode. Both work well in desktop and mobile browsers.
@@ -83,8 +185,9 @@Voice Chats 2.0: Channels, Millions of Listeners, Recorded Chats, Admin Tools
+Voice Chats 2.0: Channels, Millions of Listeners, Recorded Chats, Admin Tools
Voice Chats first appeared in Telegram groups in December 2020. Three months later they became available in channels, with support for millions of live listeners.
Admins got the option to record voice chats and create instant podcasts, as well as choose titles for their voice chats and add users via specific Speaker and Listener links. Muted listeners could raise their hand to let admins know they wanted a turn to speak.
Public figures, celebrities and other users who prefer to keep their personal accounts hidden got the ability to join voice chats as one of their channels.