Telegram has a new update that’s bringing a few quite useful features to the popular chat app. The app is now getting a redesigned interface for Android, a new Download Manager, phone links, and more.
The update was announced in a Telegram blog post. One of the most noteworthy features that the new update brings is the new phone number links feature. Before this update, you could create a username on Telegram and share your t.me/username link with other people so that they can find you on the app without your phone number. However, such usernames are public and people can find you in a global search.
With this new update, Telegram is bringing the possibility to share a direct t.me link with your phone number that instantly opens up a chat with you. The format for these links is t.me/phone number, and you have to use your full number in the international format, with the code of your country and a + sign in front of it.
Pretty much, these links do not make you searchable by anyone while still allowing your friends to find you with your phone number more easily. Keep in mind that in order for this to work, you need to set your privacy settings so that others can find you on the app by your phone number.
With this new update, when you download files, a new icon will appear in the search bar. You can tap on it or go to the “Downloads” tab in Search, where you can view, pause, resume, or prioritize downloads. On top of that, you can use it when sending multiple photos to see a preview of the album, rearrange photos, or remove some before sending it.
But that’s not all. Telegram for Android is getting a new look, with a new transparency effect. The company calls it a semi-transparent interface for Android. In fact, it is a look that is seen in Night Mode. With this new look, panels and headers become subtly transparent, this way making chat backgrounds, stickers, and media files more noticeable. Another new thing coming to the Android app is a refined login screen which will now have smoother animations.
Additionally, the update brings support for live streaming with other apps. So far, Telegram Groups and Channels support live video broadcasts with an unlimited number of viewers. However, now you will be able to broadcast from streaming tools like OBS Studio and XSplit Broadcaster, which adds overlays and multi-screen layouts easily. This way, any Telegram channel can be seamlessly transformed into a professional TV Station.
And last but not least, this Telegram update brings a new look to the t.me link pages. This is the place where anyone can preview profiles, posts, or entire public channels in their browser. The web previews are now getting a new look with chat backgrounds and design elements from the Telegram Web client.
Back in December 2021, Telegram had another big update that brought Telegram chat reactions with emoji, a feature that’s quite useful and fun to use in chat apps, as well as message translations.
Additionally, the update back then brought spoiler alerts that can help you hide some text behind a blurry look. Of course, choosing to ignore the spoiler alert will let you tap on the message and view it anyway like it is on other popular platforms such as Reddit.