Serious Discussion Telegram - New Features & Updates Thread

[Ink]

Homepage: Telegram – a new era of messaging

Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security, it’s super-fast, simple and free. You can use Telegram on all your devices at the same time — your messages sync seamlessly across any number of your phones, tablets or computers.

Telegram will add new features and paid for by Premium users.​

Source(s):
1.
2. Durov's Channel

"As Telegram approaches 500 million active users, many of you are asking the question – who is going to pay to support this growth? After all, more users mean more expenses for traffic and servers. A project of our size needs at least a few hundred million dollars per year to keep going.

For most of Telegram’s history, I paid for the expenses of the company from my personal savings. However, with its current growth Telegram is on track to reach billions of users and to require appropriate funding. When a tech project reaches this scale, typically there are two options – start earning money to cover the costs, or sell the company."

Hence the question – which path will Telegram take? I’d like to make a few points to clarify our plan:

1. We are not going to sell the company like the founders of Whatsapp. The world needs Telegram to stay independent as a place where users are respected and high-quality service is ensured. Telegram must continue to serve the world as an example of a tech company that strives for perfection and integrity. And, as the sad examples of our predecessors show, that is impossible if you become part of a corporation.
2. Telegram is here to stay for a long time. We began developing our apps for our personal use over 8 years ago and have come a long way since then. In the process, Telegram changed the way people communicate in several aspects – encryption, functionality, simplicity, design, speed. This journey has just started. There’s much more we can – and will – bring to the world.
3. In order to make points 1 and 2 possible, Telegram will begin to generate revenue, starting next year. We will do it in accordance with our values and the pledges we have made over the last 7 years. Thanks to our current scale, we will be able to do it in a non-intrusive way. Most users will hardly notice any change.
4. All the features that are currently free will stay free. We will add some new features for business teams or power users. Some of these features will require more resources and will be paid for by these premium users. Regular users will be able to keep enjoying Telegram – for free, forever.
5. All parts of Telegram devoted to messaging will remain ad-free. We think that displaying ads in private 1-to-1 chats or group chats is a bad idea. Communication between people should be free of advertising of any sort.
6. In addition to its messaging component, Telegram has a social networking dimension. Our massive public one-to-many channels can have millions of subscribers each and are more like Twitter feeds. In many markets the owners of such channels display ads to earn money, sometimes using third-party ad platforms. The ads they post look like regular messages, and are often intrusive. We will fix this by introducing our own Ad Platform for public one-to-many channels – one that is user-friendly, respects privacy and allows us to cover the costs of servers and traffic.
7. If Telegram starts earning money, the community should also benefit. For example, If we monetize large public one-to-many channels via the Ad Platform, the owners of these channels will receive free traffic in proportion to their size. Or, if Telegram introduces premium stickers with additional expressive features, the artists who make stickers of this new type will also get a part of the profit. We want millions of Telegram-based creators and small businesses to thrive, enriching the experience of all our users.

This is the Telegram way.

"It will allow us to keep innovating and keep growing for decades to come. We will be able to launch countless new features and welcome billions of new users. While doing that, we will remain independent and stay true to our values, redefining how a tech company should operate."

 

[Threadripper]

They removed the part of their website which said Telegram is free forever. No ads. No subscription fees. which isn't a great move. I'm not opposed to a free service with premium features, nor privacy-respecting ads in some form, but they did say forever on their website and silently removed it hoping nobody would notice.

Proof

 

[SeriousHoax]

They removed the part of their website which said Telegram is free forever. No ads. No subscription fees. which isn't a great move. I'm not opposed to a free service with premium features, nor privacy-respecting ads in some form, but they did say forever on their website and silently removed it hoping nobody would notice.

Proof

But he has no other option. Like he said, he used his own money to run it so far but can't continue that without revenue.
They have good track record so far I think. They got banned in Iran yet never agreed to share users data.

 

[ForgottenSeer 78429]

All parts of Telegram devoted to messaging will remain ad-free. We think that displaying ads in private 1-to-1 chats or group chats is a bad idea. Communication between people should be free of advertising of any sort.

So which parts of the app will be having ads?

 

[SeriousHoax]

So which parts of the app will be having ads?

Check point 5, 6 above.

 

[silversurfer]

The team behind the messenger Telegram released a new version of the client for Android and iOS yesterday that introduces support for importing chats from the messengers WhatsApp, Line and KakaoTalk. [...]

The process itself is straightforward and as easy as it gets. Here is how it works on Android to exemplify it:

1. Open a chat in WhatsApp, it does not matter if it is a group chat or an individual chat.
2. Select Menu > More > Export chat.
3. Select whether you want media included or not when the prompt appears.
4. The Share menu opens. Pick Telegram from the list of available options.
5. Select a group in Telegram to save the chat and supported attachments to.
6. It may take some time to get the information imported.

Telegram notes that users can save space on the device after the importing finishes by freeing up space on it; this is done under Settings > Data and Storage > Storage Usage. It can be used to removed data from Telegram without losing access to it thanks to the service's servers on which the data is still stored.

Telegram update introduces support for importing WhatsApp chats - gHacks Tech News

The team behind the messenger Telegram released a new version of the client for Android and iOS yesterday that introduces support for importing chats from the messengers WhatsApp, Line and KakaoTalk.

www.ghacks.net

 

[Dex4Sure]

The most hilarious part of Telegram though is that by default chats are not end-to-end encrypted unless you use the "secret chat" feature. Whatsapp which uses the same Signal protocol as Signal itself does, has end-to-end encryption enabled by default. I'd definitely use Signal over Telegram.

 

[Ville]

Fingers crossed that someday they add support to importing from Google's hangouts.

 

[ForgottenSeer 89360]

All this fiasco with WhatsApp and others... I am happy to delete all of them and send SMS ultimately

 

[ForgottenSeer 85179]

The most hilarious part of Telegram though is that by default chats are not end-to-end encrypted unless you use the "secret chat" feature. Whatsapp which uses the same Signal protocol as Signal itself does, has end-to-end encryption enabled by default. I'd definitely use Signal over Telegram.

They wrote why this is default on Telegram.
Also, connection to server is always encrypted.

The only hilarious part here is that all other messenger (even Signal) use Electron framework for desktop client while Telegram doesn't.

 

[silversurfer]

Telegram for Windows has received an update that includes new privacy features that provide better control over your data.

As part of the latest update, Telegram is introducing a new feature that now allows you to delete groups you created and call history for all sides without leaving a trace.

On mobile devices, you can also delete a secret group for both sides. Since the Telegram servers don't store your deleted chats, call history or groups, the data will disappear completely once you've clicked on the delete button.

Last year, Telegram was updated with support for group calls and the company is now adding a new feature that will improve the voice chat experience. This update introduces a new feature that will allow you to adjust the volume for individual participants of a voice chat.

While in an active voice chat, you can now click on the top menu and adjust the volume (microphone levels) of individual participants. Administrators can change the microphone levels for everyone.

Telegram for Windows 10 update brings a new privacy feature

With your data being the digital currency of our times, Facebook is planning to track your behavior using WhatsApp to deliver tailored advertising via Facebook and improve their services. On the other hand, Telegram is working on a new privacy feature for the desktop app and it's now rolling out...

www.bleepingcomputer.com

 

[ForgottenSeer 85179]

Wow...

I'll still stick with Unigram because the telegram developers don't care about security (for the desktop version).

 

[silversurfer]

Telegram with new web versions, payments improvements and scheduled voice chats​

Telegram calls the two new web interfaces Web K and Web Z. Telegram is tight lipped when it comes to the differences between the two versions; a quick test showed only visual differences between the two versions.

Login requires a verification code that is sent to the Telegram application on a mobile device.

Payments improved significantly

Telegram introduced support for payments in 2017 on the platform. Users of the chat app could communicate with payment bots to make payments from within the application.

Today's update introduces support for eight third-party payment providers, including Stripe, that merchants can make use of to handle payments on the Telegram platform.

Telegram notes that it does not take commissions and does not store payment information on its platform.

Information such as credit cards data is sent to the payment provider directly and shipping information is shared with the merchant.

All merchants can start using the Payments API directly. A Payments help page is available for developers that provides instructions on setting this up.

Voice Chat Improvements

Administrators of groups and channels may schedule voice chats in the latest version instead of having to create one on the fly. The main advantage of that is that members of the chat or channel get advance notice of new voice chats.

Chats displays a countdown at the top when a voice chat is scheduled, and users may enable notifications to receive a ping when the chat is about to start.

Admins can schedule a Voice Chat from their Group or Channel's profile page. On Android, tap ⋮ > Start Voice chat > Schedule Voice Chat. On iOS, tap the Voice Chat button and select Schedule Voice Chat.
Don't worry, the chat won't start automatically when the countdown reaches zero – only when an admin presses the Start Now button.

Another new voice chat related feature is the option to display mini profiles; these expand profile pictures and biographies, without leaving voice chat.

Last but not least, administrators may record voice chats to publish them for followers who missed the event or want to replay it.

Other improvements of the new version

Photos and videos can be expanded from chat right away now using pinch to zoom, and without having to tap to open the media viewer.

The video player supports jumping forward or backward in the latest version. Android users double-tap on the left or right side of the screen to jump 10 seconds back or forward, iOS users press and hold the + or + buttons to jump 15 seconds back or forward.

Telegram with new web versions, payments improvements and scheduled voice chats and - gHacks Tech News

A big Telegram update improved the messaging service's web client, payments on the platform, voice chats, and more.

www.ghacks.net

 

[ForgottenSeer 85179]

Telegram calls the two new web interfaces Web K and Web Z. Telegram is tight lipped when it comes to the differences between the two versions; a quick test showed only visual differences between the two versions.

Sadly nobody show these visual differences yet

 

[Oxygen]

Telegram and Signal are by far my favorites but I've had to switch between them as one had some downtime a few months ago. My problem comes when trying to convince people to use either as they are using Messenger or Discord.

Of course I'm just going to use what everybody else is using at the moment as it's just not worth time to try and get them to hop on board. I suppose it wouldn't be difficult but it would be a endless cycle of your friends trying to convince their friends to switch and so on.

 

[TairikuOkami]

Once FB bans half of its users, groups and pages it will not be difficult to persuade people to switch.

 

[silversurfer]

Telegram has rolled out an update for its apps on Desktop, Android and iOS that increases the number of free animated reactions. It also introduces a new way to share profile links, among other improvements.

Telegram adds more free reactions for users, new username links and more - gHacks Tech News

Telegram messenger's latest update brings more free animated reactions. Users can now share links to their profile in an easier format.

www.ghacks.net

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Infinite Reactions, Emoji Statuses and Much More

Telegram's previous update revolutionized emoji, adding an open platform for creating custom animated emoji. This update gives you even more ways to use these new emoji to express how you're feeling – with infinite reactions and emoji statuses.

telegram.org

 

[silversurfer]

Telegram has received another feature update packed with numerous improvements. The messenger finally lets you sign up without a phone number, which was a long-standing privacy issue in a privacy-focused service. Also, it now features reworked topics, enhanced anti-spam protections, better storage controls, and more.

The new SIM-less registration process is powered by the Fragment platform, which is not free—you need to purchase a combination you want on an auction or get a randomly-generated number for much less (still not free).

Telegram finally lets you sign up without a phone number

Telegram has released another major update packed with numerous features and improvements focusing on making the messenger more private, customizable, and enjoyable to use on all platforms.

www.neowin.net

No-SIM Signup, Auto-Delete All Chats, Topics 2.0 and More

With this update, you can have a Telegram account without a SIM card and set up a global timer to automatically delete messages in all new chats. Topics in groups are now even more powerful – and available for groups with 100+ members.

telegram.org

 

[silversurfer]

Telegram entered 2024 with another free feature upgrade for its messenger. Version 10.10 is now rolling out to users on iOS and Android, bringing calling improvements, a big upgrade for bots, new UI effects, and more.

"Telegram's 10th update of 2023 adds improved calls with a colorful new design that use less of your phone's battery, a new vaporize effect when you delete messages, the largest bot update in Telegram's history – and more."

Telegram rolls out improved calls, big upgrade for bots, new UI effects and more

Telegram finished 2023 with improved calls, a big upgrade for bots, UI improvements, and more. In addition, developers promise to deliver even more calling-related enhancements in 2024.

www.neowin.net

Colorful Calls, Thanos Snap Effect, and an Epic Update for Bots

Telegram's 10th update of 2023 adds improved calls with a colorful new design that use less of your phone's battery, a new vaporize effect when you delete messages, the largest bot update in Telegram's history – and more.

telegram.org

 

[silversurfer]

Following a January update, Telegram now lets you send one-time voice and video messages that delete after they’ve been played back. This ephemerality allows you to better mimic a real-life conversation where you only say a thing once and the other person can’t keep listening to it.

To record view-once messages, you need to swipe up to lock recording then tap on the view-once icon before sending it. When the recipient gets the messages a small 1 will indicate it’s a one time message and once played it cannot be paused or rewound and vanishes when done.

Telegram now lets you send one-time voice and video messages

Telegram has just released another big update. It includes one-time audio and video messages and the ability to see what time your messages were read at. There are also new features for Premium users.

www.neowin.net

Saved Messages 2.0, One-Time Voice Messages and 8 More Features

telegram.org