LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) Telegram has introduced several new features and enhancements to its platform.
Initially launched as a premium feature in July, the “stories” functionality became available to all users in August.
Now, users can enjoy additional capabilities within this feature, such as the ability to incorporate music and reaction stickers into their stories.
Furthermore, users can send and share media in a “view-once” mode, which can be modified at any time.
An exciting development is that Telegram has now extended the option to post stories to channels, but this is subject to approval from their followers.
In August, Telegram rolled out its Stories feature to all users, closely resembling the functionality of Instagram Stories.
Users can post stories that last for durations of 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours. This feature has now been expanded to Telegram Channels as well.
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However, the ability to post stories on Channels is contingent upon receiving boosts from Premium users.
Telegram Premium subscribers are granted one boost per user, which they can allocate to any channel.
As channels accumulate boosts, they ascend through different levels, with each level granting channel administrators the capacity to post an additional story daily.
Users retain the autonomy to choose which Channels’ stories they wish to see.
Channels can track their progress in terms of boosts needed to reach the next level by navigating to Channel Info > More > Statistics > Boosts.
Another noteworthy update is the introduction of reaction stickers and music integration within stories.
Both users and channels can employ reaction stickers, and viewers can respond with a simple tap.
To include a reaction sticker, users can select the emoji of their choice from the provided options in the sticker panel.
Premium users have the privilege of adding up to 5 reaction stickers per story, whereas other users are limited to one per story.
Adding music to stories is straightforward, requiring users to navigate to Audio > Select file > Adjust the track. Users can also opt to retain the original audio if desired.
Similar to WhatsApp and Instagram, Telegram now offers a “view-once” mode for sending media.
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Users can toggle between this mode and a 30-second display mode. In the view-once mode, media files are permanently deleted once opened, and viewers are unable to save or capture screenshots.
Additionally, Telegram has enhanced security measures. Users will receive login alerts each time they log in from a new device, ensuring they stay informed about account activity.
To review all the devices logged into their account, users can access this information in Settings > Devices.
For added security, users have the option to enable two-step verification, accessible through Settings > Privacy and Security > Two-Step Verification.