Telegram for desktop does not autoplay GIFs and videos after latest update
Telegram for desktop was updated to 4.3.2 yesterday. The new version seems to have broken the autoplay functionality for GIFs and videos.
Telegram for desktop does not autoplay GIFs and videos
I noticed the issue right after updating the app yesterday. I wasn't alone, several users have reported that they are facing the same problem. The autoplay feature does not work in Telegram's desktop app, even if the setting for it is enabled. The data and storage settings don't seem to affect the behavior either.
So every time you send or receive an animated GIF or a video, Telegram just displays a preview of it with a play button on top. You have to click on the media to start the playback, and if you click on a second GIF, the first one stops playing.
Note: Animated stickers and emojis are not affected by this bug.
This problem isn't limited to GIFs and videos, it also extends to the automatic downloading of photos. Now you will have to click on each photo to fetch the media. This can become a bit of a chore, especially if your friends or groups share a lot of media. This autoplay and auto download issue also affects the portable version of Telegram, which is the one I prefer to use. The feature stills work properly in the mobile apps.
If you have not yet updated to Telegram 4.3.2 on your computer, and don't want your app to be updated automatically, click on the hamburger menu button in the top left corner of the interface. Open the application's Settings, go to the Advanced section, and toggle the "Automatic Updates" option.
If you see the "Update Telegram" button at the bottom of your chat list, it means that Telegram has automatically downloaded the update. This will happen in new installs too, as the app is set to update to new versions automatically, i.e. it downloads the new version even before you sign in to your account and disable the setting. You can skip the update by deleting the update files that are located in the temp folder under the "Telegram\tupdate" directory.
Warning: You will have to check for app updates manually if you disable the automatic update setting. So you may miss out on bug fixes, security patches, and feature updates.
Users have already filed an issue regarding the broken autoplay handling on Telegram's GitHub page, and a bug report has been submitted on its support portal.
Workaround for Telegram not playing GIFs and videos
The only workaround for Telegram not playing GIFs and videos, is to downgrade to the previous version. You can find the Telegram 4.3.1 binaries for Windows, Linux and macOS at the GitHub page. You will have to uninstall the current version of the app, and reinstall the old one. Don't forget to disable the auto update setting that I mentioned above.
According to a comment by one of the developers, the problem only affected the 32-bit version of the program, the 64-bit version did not have this bug. The issue has been fixed in a new update, Telegram 4.3.3. You can download it from the official website or the GitHub page, or let your app auto update to the latest version.
(Telegram 4.3.2 on the left, and 4.3.1 on the right)
If you don't want to disable auto updates, you may want to try third-party apps like Unigram alongside the official version. I should tell you that Unigram uses way more system resources than the Telegram app does. Or, you could download the portable archive of the previous version and use it temporarily while we wait for a proper fix.
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.