14 DAY TRIAL // Telegram has long been the number one alternative to WhatsApp, and as compared to the Facebook-owned messaging platform, the updates that it receives are a lot more substantial, often bringing tons of new features.
This is the case of a recent pack of improvements that is live on Android and iOS, with Telegram getting new features in those areas that matter the most for users.
First and foremost, the one thing that you need to know is that Telegram has increased the file sharing size limit from 1.5 GB to 2 GB.
Basically, Telegram allows you to send as many files as you want to your contacts, as long as the size of all of them doesn’t exceed 2 GB. Previously, this limit was set to 1.5 GB, so the increase is massive for those who are heavy file sharers.
Furthermore, beginning with this new update, Telegram allows users of the desktop app to log in with a maximum of three different accounts at the same time. This feature has been around for a while in the mobile app, but given that we’re mostly staying home these days and working on desktops and laptops, such an update certainly comes in handy.
Getting in touch with new people has also been improved in several ways.
First of all, it’s an update for the People Nearby feature that allows you to see other Telegram users in the area. Users can just make themselves visible in the app and thus allow others to reach out to them. Beginning with this update, Telegram will actually display how far the person writing to you actually is, along with a greeting sticker that’s supposed to make it easier to start the chat.
Then, because the first impression often matters the most, Telegram is adding profile videos. In other words, you can replace the static profile pic with a video, so when someone checks out your profile, they can see a video that says so much more than a typical image.
“Same as with any videos you upload, our media editor will help you enhance quality – or decorate yourself with animated stickers. As your mood changes, you can quickly switch back to a previous profile photo or video by tapping ‘Set as Main’. Great for rewinding time and staying young forever,” Telegram explains.
And because you might want to take a new photo or video to use it for your profile, Telegram comes with improvements for the front-facing camera too. Beginning with this release, the application includes more advanced editing, allowing you to apply a soft skin filter on your pictures and videos.
With People Nearby thus expanding and becoming a more important feature in Telegram, the team is also adding new filters for chats.
“If you're getting too many messages from non-contacts, try the new switch in Privacy & Security settings to automatically archive and mute new chats from people not in your contacts. You can access these chats anytime from the Archive folder and bring them back to the main chat list in a tap,” the Telegram team explains.
And last but not least, as the world is working for home, more and more companies and teams switch to Telegram to stay in touch during these difficult times. Large groups with over 500 members are now being provided with graphs about their activity, while also being able to see the top members by the number of messages they sent.
This is clearly a welcome tool for companies, and the graphs serve as super-useful data, especially now that managing large groups remotely has become a common thing for everybody.