Popular instant messaging platform
Telegram
has over 800 million monthly active users. The messaging service has now rolled out its latest Christmas update which brings
new features
for its users. The latest features include customisable Channel Appearance, the ability to
share posts in Stories
, expanded Premium gifting options and more. Here are the details about all the new features that are coming to Telegram:
Customise Channel appearance
Channel owners
can now customise their appearance as they gain levels through subscriber boosts or giveaways.
Beyond message colour, channel owners can choose a colour and logo for their profile cover, set an
emoji status
and display a wallpaper visible to all who open the channel. The emoji status offers many options, from animated snowmen to cryptic hotdogs. To customise your channel, open its profile and select Channel Settings > Appearance.
Share posts in Stories
The new feature allows messages from channels to be reposted in Stories. Users can move, resize and decorate the reposted message. Reposts support all message types, including photos, files, and voice or video messages. To repost a message, tap the Share Arrow next to the message and select 'Repost to Story'.
New Premium gifts
In the Christmas spirit of giving, users can now give Telegram Premium to multiple recipients simultaneously. A 'Gift Premium' section in Settings allows users to select up to 10 users and give them Telegram Premium with a single tap. Users with existing Premium subscriptions can save the gift to activate later or send it to a friend. Premium can also be gifted to individual users from their
Profile > ⋮ / ⋯ > Gift Premium.
Custom prizes and winner lists in giveaways
Channels hosting giveaways can now set longer durations and specify additional prizes, providing a wider range of rewards from burritos to Bugattis. To enhance transparency, giveaway hosts can toggle 'Show Winners' to announce the winning accounts with a confetti-filled message. Telegram randomly selects winners and automatically distributes Telegram Premium gift codes. Channel admins are responsible for delivering any additional prizes they include.
View reposts and more
Users can now see who viewed and reacted to their
stories
, while channel admins gain detailed statistics on story performance. With the update, channel admins can view reactions to their stories and both users and channels can see who reposted their stories.
Photo cutouts for stories
This addition allows users to place photos from their gallery on top of stories. For added creativity, the background of images can be removed, offering users the opportunity to personalise their content. This feature requires iOS 17+ or Android 7+ with Google Play Services installed. To add a photo to a story, open the sticker panel in stories and tap the photo icon. Then select the photo, tap > in the menu and 'Cut Out' to erase its background.
English (US) ·