In the first week of January, Telegram surpassed 500 million monthly active users.
Telegram surpassed 500 million active users.
- Usernames allow people to search for your profile and add you as a contact – no need to share your phone number.
- Tap a sticker in any chat to open a preview and add the pack.
- Create personalized private channels to store media and documents outside of your Saved Messages. Every Telegram user has an unlimited amount of cloud storage, so the possibilities are endless.
- Media Editor: Use different text styles, so your custom memes are always easy to read.
- Video messages. Tap once on the Voice Message button to switch to video. Tap on a video message to play it with sound.
- Change Colors. You can choose from dozens of color schemes in Chat Settings (Appearance Settings on iOS).
- Edit or Delete Messages to fix typos or remove anything you send by accident. Edited messages show an edited label, and deleted messages leave no trace and no placeholder in the chat.
- Mini-Game Emoji. There are several emoji which you can send in chat to test your luck: 🎰, 🎲, 🎯, ⚽️ and 🏀. Go for the jackpot, goal or bullseye – but try not to roll snake eyes 😉
- Send when online. You can schedule messages to be sent when your recipient comes online. Slide your message in with the morning post – or time a duck sticker for the exact moment a meeting gets boring.
- Reminders. If you schedule a message in your ‘Saved Messages’ chat, it will turn into a reminder. Be your own time-travelling secretary – whether it’s about a dentist appointment next week, or waking up in time for pizza delivery.
- Chat Folders. With work, studies, friends and family all in one app, a little organization goes a long way. Users can add chat folders to create separate tabs for specific chats so they never miss a message. There are several preset options (like ‘Unread’), as well as custom folders that include and exclude chats by type and read status. For everything else, you can individually add and remove chats from a folder so they have everything you want and nothing that you don’t. For even more control, folders support unlimited pins to always keep chats in your preferred order. To get started, go to Settings - Folders on any device. Oh, and they sync across all your devices 👍
- Channel Comments. Channels with a linked Discussion Group have a comment button under each post, where both subscribers and visitors can share their thoughts on the latest updates. Comments appear in their own separate threads, but also are posted in the discussion group to give admins and frequent participants a place to see every new comment in one place. If you are not a member of the channel’s discussion group, notifications for replies to your comments are sent to a special chat called Replies.
- Pinned Messages. All Telegram chats support multiple pinned messages, so important info is always within reach. Tap the top bar to jump between messages or hit the button on the right side to see all pins on a separate page. When pinning a message in a group, you have the option to send a notification to all group members, even if they have the chat muted.
- Polls in Groups and Channels. Telegram polls can be anonymous, or have visible votes so that everyone in the group sees who voted for what. Multiple answer polls can be helpful when deciding on a date or place for an event. Polls with Quiz mode enabled have a correct answer and can power anything from trivia games to public service exams.
- Clear your cache to free up extra space on your device. Media and files stay in the cloud, and will automatically re-download as needed.
- Autoplaying videos and auto-download settings. Smaller videos start playing without sound when they reach your screen. To unmute them, simply press the volume buttons on your device. If you like to be in control of your data usage, try the new auto-download settings. It‘s easy to see your current settings at a glance and we’ve added a new quick way to switch between Low, Medium and High presets for Mobile, Roaming and Wi-Fi. You can also manually set up automatic downloads by chat type, media type and file size. The app will remember your choices as the Custom preset in case you need to temporarily switch to Low and back — or the other way around.
- Media Editor. With more functions than standalone editing apps, Telegram’s powerful media editor has tools to add text, drawings, stickers and more. Create custom GIFs from your own videos, make basic and advanced corrections, and add decorations for another layer of artistry.
- Disappearing photos and videos. You can send disappearing media in any one-on-one chat. They self-destruct after opening, leaving no trace of your confidential fruits or vegetables 👀 Press and hold the ‘Send’ button - Send With Timer.
- Turn on 2X playback speed for podcasts and long audio files. Don’t worry if you don’t finish the whole episode – your progress is automatically saved for later.
- People Nearby. If you’re looking to connect with people in your community, head over to Contacts - People Nearby to see adventurous Telegram users in your area. You can join in by tapping Make Myself Visible, which adds your profile to the list so other users can send you a message. If you’re no longer in the mood to mingle, tap Stop Showing Me at any time to remove yourself from the list.
- Profile Videos. You can upload both photos and videos to your profile, showing off all your good sides. Select a video from your gallery, make any edits you’d like, then drag across the timeline to select a frame for your static picture in chats. When someone opens your profile, they’ll see your video play in an enchanting loop.
- Video Calls. Start a one-on-one video call with a user from their profile page for a little face-to-face communication. You can switch your video on or off at any time, and are free to multitask in other chats – video calls support Picture-in-Picture mode. All voice and video calls are protected with end-to-end encryption. To confirm your connection, compare the four emoji shown on screen. If they match with your partner’s, your call is 100% secure.
- Voice Chats. Telegram’s powerful group chats go beyond text and stickers, allowing persistent conference calls that members can join or leave at any time. After joining a voice chat, you are free to move around the app and send messages in any conversation. The microphone controls remain on screen allowing you to quickly mute and unmute at any time. Admins can get the conversation started by opening the group’s profile, tapping ⋮ or ⋯ and selecting Start Voice Chat.
- A system-wide widget is available for Android users that allows them to control their microphone even when Telegram is in the background.
- Search Filters. Telegram users all have unlimited cloud storage, and many use our powerful media tools to keep track of work documents, class notes and important memories. To quickly find a specific message or media item, search filters allow users to refine results by keyword, source, media type and time period – all at once.
- View search results as a List. The Search function allows you to easily jump between messages containing a keyword – or sent by a particular person, or even from a certain day. Tap the number in the bottom bar to open list view and see all the results on one page.
- Live Location. Share your live location to let contacts or group members follow you on your journey. When multiple group members share their live location, they all appear on the same map. From the map, you can set an alert that will notify you when your friends are close. Live location is only shared for as long as you choose, and only in the chats you send it to. You can see in which chats your live location is still active from the chat list and can stop sharing it at any time.
- Badge Counters keep track of how many unread messages you have, but you can set them to show the number of unread chats instead.
- Custom Backgrounds. You can search the web for wallpapers, add effects and then share your backgrounds with friends via links. Telegram backgrounds support motion and blur effects. You can also set any color as your background, apply a pattern and tweak its intensity.
- Group Stats. Owners of large groups with over 500 members can view beautiful, detailed graphs about its activity and growth.
- Channel Stats. Owners of channels with more than 50 subscribers have access to detailed statistics and informative graphics about subscriber growth and post performance.
- Creating polls. Polls can be created in groups or channels (they feel lonely in one-on-one chats). Simply choose the Poll option in the attachment menu. Type in your question, add answer options, choose the settings that fit your purpose best – and you’re ready to go.
- Full theme editor. Quickly tweak the style of elements in Telegram chats and add awesome gradients to both your messages and your background. Once you’re done editing, you can quickly share the result of your work with friends so that they can continue tuning your theme. Find the editor in Chat Settings (or Appearance Settings on iOS). Switch between tabs (Main Color, Background, My Messages) to see how deep this rabbit hole goes.
- Instantly edit and send back media you receive to add notations or decorations without saving it to your gallery.
- Automatic Media Download settings let you decide when Telegram downloads media based on connection, media format, chat type and file size.
- Admin tools. Set individual permissions and custom titles-for-admins-in-group-chats-to-give-everyone-their-own-role-and-responsibilities.-You-can-also-allow-your-admins-to-post-anonymously,-using-the-name-and-profile-pic-of-the-group\index.md’-Force -ItemType file -Value ---
titles for admins in group chats to give everyone their own role and responsibilities. You can also allow your admins to post anonymously, using the name and profile pic of the group.
- Create custom Cloud Themes with your own accent, message and background colors to give your app a personal touch. Share the link to your theme with friends so they can use it as well.
- See the exact progress of media and files as you upload or download them.
- Create polls to make group decisions or pick a place to eat. For scheduling events or making mashups, enable multiple answers to give voters more than one option.
- Mute and unmute chats with a swipe or a press whenever you want to take a break from your notifications.
- Slide forward and back on voice messages to skip ahead or repeat something you missed.
- Quick share arrows in channels instantly forward a post to the chats of your choice.
- Export Chat History on Telegram Desktop to make an offline reference copy of single chats or your entire account, including both messages and media.
- Type @gif to quickly search for and send GIFs in any chat from the message field.
- Custom Folders let you organize your chat list into specific tabs. Include and exclude individual chats and categories for complete control.
- Granular Privacy Settings allow you to change your overall visibility and add individual exceptions for any category. You can add whole group chats as exceptions – settings will adjust automatically as people join and leave the group. More on our blog (https://telegram.org/blog/privacy-discussions-web-bots).
- Format text by selecting it or using markdown shortcuts like **bold __italic ~~strikethrough and \monospace
- Send When Online. You can schedule messages or media to be delivered as soon as your recipient comes online. This option only appears for users who share their Last Seen status with you (and vice versa).
- Edit sent media to re-crop, re-decorate or completely replace photos and videos.
- The Sticker Panel has over 20,000 free stickers from professional artists. You can take a look at what’s trending (+), scroll for something specific – or use sticker search. Animated Stickers run at a smooth 60 frames per second. They consume less battery than GIFs and are 6 times smaller than an average photo.
- Send full-resolution media by selecting ‘Send without Compression’ on Android or ‘Send as File’ on iOS.
- Media Editor: Add illustrations to your media items with several styles of drawing tools. Move left and right on the slider to pick a color, then slide up and down to change brush size.
- Telegram Support. Contact our volunteer support team anytime from ‘Ask a Question’ on the Settings page.
- Custom admin titles-have-several-uses,-including-bringing-a-little-class-to-the-group-chat-☕️🧐\index.md’-Force -ItemType file -Value ---
titles have several uses, including bringing a little class to the group chat ☕️🧐
- Two-Step Verification Passwords add an extra layer of security to your account. When enabled, it will be required each time you log in, along with the code sent to your device.
- Invite Links instantly bring friends to a Group or Channel. They can be shared in your bio on other platforms. You can also choose a username for your account and share it instead of your phone number.
- Switch between Dark and Light themes based on your system setting, a scheduled time or even the sun. Only a Sith deals in appearance absolutes.
- Pin messages in groups to highlight important info. Choose whether to send a special notification to assemble your Avengers, even if they have the group muted.
- Folder Icons. Add individual icons for your chat folders on Telegram Desktop and Telegram for macOS, to organize everything from cats to cryptocurrency.
- Media Editor: The Curves Tool lets you make advanced adjustments or help individual colors stand out, with complete control over shadows, midtones and highlights.
- Switch to a previous profile picture (or better Batman) by tapping ‘Set as Main’ from your profile page.
- Enable Announce Messages on iOS to have Siri read incoming Telegram notifications aloud in your headphones 🔊
- Media Editor: Crop, rotate and mirror videos to control gravity.
- Media Editor: Use different text styles, so your custom memes are always easy to read.
- SD Card Storage is available for Android users, to create more space for saved media and files. Remember, it’s not the size of your storage that matters – only how you use it 😉
- Create personalized private channels to store media and documents outside of your Saved Messages. Every Telegram user has an unlimited amount of cloud storage, so the possibilities are endless.
- Schedule messages to arrive at the perfect moment, even if your device is off. Use them in Saved Messages to create a reminder.
- Tap a sticker in any chat to open a preview and add the pack.
- Update the phone number linked to your account at any time, so that future login codes are sent to your current number (and galaxy 🛸).
- Usernames allow people to search for your profile and add you as a contact – no need to share your phone number.