Telegram, the popular messaging app, has kicked off the year with a slew of upgrades in its January feature drop.
Among the notable additions are the introduction of “view-once” functionality for video and audio messages on Telegram, the ability to pause and resume recording, new read-time controls, and exclusive features for paid users.
Building on the success of its “view-once” feature for photos and videos in one-on-one chats introduced in September 2023, Telegram is now extending this privacy-centric option to voice and video messages. Users can initiate recording, then simply pull up and tap the “view-once” icon, allowing the recipient a single viewing or listening experience.
Telegram is adding a convenient pause and resume recording feature for voice and video messages. Users can seamlessly control their recording sessions through the same menu, offering greater flexibility and precision in crafting and sending multimedia messages.
The messaging app is providing users with more control over their private conversations. In one-on-one private chats, individuals can now see when the recipient has read their message. For those valuing additional privacy, this feature can be disabled in the settings.
Telegram is introducing exclusive features for its premium users, enhancing their overall messaging experience. Premium users now have the ability to conceal their own read time while retaining the option to view someone else’s read time if it’s shared publicly.
Again, premium users can now customise their messaging experience by choosing who can initiate conversations with them first. The options include “Everyone” or a more restricted setting, “My Contacts and Premium User,” allowing for a personalised approach to communication.
Telegram’s January feature drop follows a series of recent updates aimed at enhancing user experience and privacy. In the previous month, the app introduced features to facilitate channel discovery and customisation, as well as improved calls with end-to-end encryption, designed to be less demanding on the device’s battery.
The company also turned its attention to its bot platform, empowering bots to react to messages, manage reactions, quotes, and links, and even send replies to other chats or topics.
