Telegram update brings Topics in Groups, improved night mode on iOS and more
WhatsApp improved the experience for groups in an app update that was announced last week. Telegram is bringing some improvements of its own for large groups.
Telegram Topics in Groups
The instant messaging service is introducing Topics in Groups. This feature allows users to discuss things as a subgroup, without disturbing the others in the group.
Admins can enable Topics from the Groups settings, and control who is allowed to create subjects for discussion. Members of the group can participate in the topics that they like. These function like individual chats, and based on the video demo, it almost looks like old-school chat rooms.
Images: via Telegram
Telegram Topics have their own shared media, notifications, and also support pinned messages, polls and bots. It also works in public groups. The feature is only available for large groups, to be precise, groups that have over 200 members. Telegram is planning to add some features for smaller groups later this year.
Improved night mode in iOS
The Dark themes in Telegram's iOS app have been updated. The colors are balanced, and scrolling down a chat has a better blurring effect.
The above screenshot looks way too brighter than it actually is. I tried this on an iPhone, and noticed that the colors appear slightly darker both for the background wallpaper, and the chat bubbles, which makes it a bit easier on the eyes. It actually looks quite similar in the Android app.
Resizing Text on Android
When you change the size of the text from the Chat settings (Message Text Size slider) in the Android app, it also resizes the text size for link previews, reply bubbles, etc.
Telegram's blog article mentions that there have been some minor improvements to animations such as swipe left to reply, a pulsing placeholder which appears like a blank message when the app loads the chats. I couldn't really tell the difference in the animations. There is a new menu with various calling options appears when you tap on a user's phone number from their profile page.
New features for Telegram Premium users
Telegram's latest update also brings a few features that are exclusive to the Premium tier. The messaging service has added support for voice-to-text for video messages. The feature displays an instant text transcript when you get a video message. Telegram Premium users now has 12 new emoji packs, which can be used for texting, statuses, and captions.
The update adds 4 new animated emojis that play full screen effects in individual chats (sleeping face, nerd face, technologist, and eyes). They can also be used as reactions in chats. And to celebrate Halloween, the messaging app has brought three more animated reactions - Ghost, Jack-O'-Lantern and a Loudly Crying Face. These emojis also seem to be working with free accounts.
Users can now have multiple collectible usernames associated with their Telegram account, in addition to the basic one. Example: username.t.me and t.me/username. These aren't free though, users can buy and sell the usernames through TON (The Open Network) blockchain. Collectible usernames can be less than 5 characters in length, so unique names such as @news or @game or possible. This could be more useful for brands than individuals.
Having a unique username also makes it easier for users to be found via global search results. But this is optional, you can disable your username from appearing in the search results.
Telegram's announcement took another swipe at Apple for delaying the update. The company's founder, Pavel Durov, said that Apple doesn't approve updates to the app for 7-10 days. He also noted that the new Digital Markets Act enforced by the European Union will end such gatekeeping methods by Apple and Google.
Uhh, this has already been possible – I am not sure how but remember my brother telling me about it. I’m not a whatsapp user so not sure of the specifics, but something about sending the image as a file and somehow bypassing the default compression settings that are applied to inbound photos.
He has also used this to share movies to whatsapp groups, and files 1Gb+.
Like I said, I never used whatsapp, but I know 100% this isn’t a “brand new feature”, my brother literally showed me him doing it, like… 5 months ago?
Martin, what happened to those: 12 Comments (https://www.ghacks.net/chatgpt-gets-schooled-by-princeton-university/#comments). Is there a specific justifiable reason why they were deleted?
Hmm, it looks like the gHacks website database is faulty, and not populating threads with their relevant cosponsoring posts.
The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk that it’s about to be deleted from my ‘daily reads’.
It’s really like “Press Release as re-written by some d*ck for clicks…poorly.” And the subjects are laughable. Can’t wait for “How to search for files on Windows”.
> The page on ghacks this is on represents the best of why it has become so worthless, fill of click-bait junk…
Sadly, I have to agree.
Only Martin and Ashwin are worth subscribing to.
Especially Emre Çitak and Shaun are the worst ones.
If ghacks.net intended “Clickbait”, it would mark the end of Ghacks Technology News.
Ghacks doesn’t need crappy clickbaits. Clearly separate articles from newer authors (perhaps AIs and external sales person or external advertising man) as just “Advertisements”!
We, the subscribers of Ghacks, urge Martin to make a decision.
because nevermore wants to “monetize” on every aspect of human life…
“Threads” is like the Walmart of Social Media.
How hard can it be to clone a twitter version of that as well? They’re slow.
Yes, why not mention how large the HD files can be?
Why, not mention what version of WhatsApp is needed?
These omissions make the article feel so bare. If not complete.
Sorry posted on the wrong page.
such a long article for such a simple matter. Worthless article ! waste of time
I already do this by attaching them via the ‘Document’ option.
I don’t know what’s going on here at Ghacks but it’s obvious that something is broken, comments are being mixed whatever the article, I am unable to find some of my later posts neither. :S
Quoting the article,
“As users gain popularity, the value of their tokens may increase, allowing investors to reap rewards.”
Besides, beyond the thrill and privacy risks or not, the point is to know how you gain popularity, be it on social sites as everywhere in life. Is it by being authentic, by remaining faithful to ourselves or is it to have this particular skill which is to understand what a majority likes, just like politicians, those who’d deny to the maximum extent compatible with their ideological partnership, in order to grab as many of the voters they can?
I see the very concept of this Friend.tech as unhealthy, propagating what is already an increasing flaw : the quest for fame. I won’t be the only one to count himself out, definitely.
@John G. is right : my comment was posted on [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/23/what-is-friend-tech/] and it appears there but as well here at [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/07/08/how-to-follow-everyone-on-threads/]
This has been lasting for several days. Fix it or at least provide some explanations if you don’t mind.
> Google Chrome is following in Safari’s footsteps by introducing a new feature that allows users to move the Chrome address bar to the bottom of the screen, enhancing user accessibility and interaction.
Firefox did this long before Safari.
Basically they’ll do anything except fair royalties.