Telegram to launch important updates — What's new

The Telegram messenger continues to evolve, offering users new features and capabilities. It is expected that most of them may appear in the coming months.

RBC-Ukraine writes about what updates to expect in Telegram.

Paid messages in groups

Recently it was reported that the app is testing the ability to send paid messages to special groups. Owners of such channels will be able to set the amount of payment for messages themselves, and the maximum amount will be 10,000 "stars", which is Telegram's internal currency.

This update may become a new way of monetization for community administrators, but so far this model looks rather dubious, as not all users will accept it.

New fraud protection system

One of the most important updates is the display of extended information about unknown contacts. Before starting a conversation, users will see the following data:

• Country where the number is registered;
• Date of Telegram account registration;
• Groups shared with this user;
• Whether the profile has been officially verified.

Recently there has been an increase in the activity of scammers on the app, so this feature will help fight them and allow users to be more aware when communicating with unknown contacts, reducing or eliminating risks.

Chromecast support for video and images

Telegram plans to add support for the Chromecast feature, which is designed to stream photos and videos to large TV screens. If a user shares a lot of media content on the messenger, they will be able to view it in a more convenient format without using third-party applications.

Using "stars" for Premium purchases

In Telegram, the internal currency "Stars" can be earned, won and purchased to get additional features. Users will be able to use them to purchase Telegram Premium and withdraw them through the Fragment service.

Backgrounds and NFT-backgrounds

Users will be able to set a profile background with an image of an NFT gift. When such a gift is set as a status, it will be displayed on the profile and users will be able to pin it to their profile to add a personal touch.

As a reminder, Google added the useful Lens search function to the iPhone. It is available in the Chrome browser on iOS and resembles Circle to Search on Android.

Opera released its artificial intelligence agent, which can perform tasks based on natural language requests, ensuring user privacy and control at all times,