Telegram has announced a major new update. The popular messaging app is getting a host of new features and improvements, including emoji profile pictures. The update should be available to users globally over the next few days.
Telegram’s first update of the year brings as many as ten major features. For starters, you can now set animated emojis and stickers as profile pictures for your accounts, groups, and channels. Simply select an emoji or sticker and apply a custom background for a unique profile picture. You can use emoji profile pictures for your Telegram contacts as well. Emoji profile pictures are available for everyone, including free Telegram users.
Those who have subscribed to Telegram Premium, meanwhile, are getting a one-tap translation of the entire chat. The company has added a new Translate button at the top of the conversation in individual chats, groups, and channels. Tapping this button translates the entire conversation into the selected language. You can manage languages and the translation feature from the options menu. The existing option of translating individual messages isn’t going away. Telegram Premium now has an annual plan as well.
New categories for emoji and stickers, granular media controls, and more
Telegram has also categorized emojis and stickers in a better way with this update. Finding the right emoji is easier than before. You can hold any emoji to zoom in and have a closer look before sending. The company notes that its messaging app boasts more than a million different stickers and emojis. If this vast library makes Telegram your preferred messaging app, you might want to keep a tab on data usage. To that end, it now provides detailed pie charts for Wi-Fi and mobile data consumed by the app.
The latest Telegram update also gives you better control over auto-downloading incoming media. You can configure this setting based on the file’s size, type, and sender (chat). With “exceptions,” you get even more granular control. And, speaking of granular controls, Telegram is giving admins plenty of options over what types of files group members can share. There are nine different media types to choose from, along with options for voice notes-only or quiz-only chats.
Other major new additions to Telegram include chat selection for bots, re-login with Apple and Google ID, hundreds of new custom emoji, and new interactive versions of several existing emoji. This update should reach Telegram users globally soon. You can click the button below to download the latest version of the app from the Google Play Store.