Telegram has released a new update to mark its 13th anniversary, bringing several features for groups, channels, messages and gifts. The update adds welcome messages that only new members can see, interactive buttons that developers can add to messages, and support for placing documents, files and music within text. Users can also add signatures and comments to gifts bought through the Telegram Marketplace. The update further introduces a placeholder for outdated app versions that cannot display newly added features.
According to a Telegram blog post, group and channel owners can now create welcome messages for new members. Only people who have recently joined will see these messages, keeping them out of the main chat for existing members. Owners can add multiple messages and media to the welcome pack, along with rich formatting, tables and inline media. They can create the welcome message from the group or channel profile without using bots.
Telegram is also letting developers add interactive buttons directly to messages. Developers can place multiple buttons in groups and channels and pair them with ephemeral messages to create temporary experiences. These can support surveys, games, quizzes, horoscopes and product browsing or ordering. Developers can also use the buttons to run separate games for different users within the same group. Creating these interactive experiences requires coding.
The update also expands Telegram’s rich text editor. Users can now place documents, files and music alongside their text in the same message. They can access the expanded editor after typing more than three lines, allowing them to add these files without sending them separately.
Telegram has also added a placeholder for older app versions that cannot display newly introduced features. The placeholder can direct users to download the latest version of the app. Telegram recommends turning on automatic updates on Android and iOS so users can receive new features as they become available.
The update also adds more options for gifts bought through the Telegram Marketplace. Users can now add a signature and comment when sending collectable gifts from the marketplace. Users can use Telegram Stars to purchase these gifts, including rare upgraded collectables.
