Telegram ranks among the top encrypted messaging apps for Android. The pace of the app’s feature rollout has been rapid, to say the least, comfortably leaving behind competitors like WhatsApp. The developers at Telegram have now announced version 9.6 of the chat app, just over a month after the release of Telegram 9.5.
As with most Telegram updates, we’ve got a mix of visual and functionality changes on board with the version 9.6 release. First up on the list of new features is shareable chat folders, allowing your friends, family, or colleagues to join all the chats residing within. Users can also share public chats or groups where they’re the admin. Chat folders can be enabled from the app’s settings menu.
Custom wallpapers are also included with Telegram 9.6, allowing users to add photos from their gallery in addition to the default options available on the app. Telegram says wallpapers can be added to 1-on-1 chats, and that people on the other end will receive an interactive “special message,” allowing them to add the same wallpaper to the conversation. The wallpaper option can be accessed via the three-dot overflow meny from the chat header on Android.
This new release even makes bots better, with the ability to launch web apps in practically any chat. Telegram says compatible bots can now be used in the form of a mention or direct link. These web apps can also be launched within groups with support for interactions from all users. This opens the door for multiplayer and collaborative web apps designed for groups or 1-on-1 conversations. With the Telegram API being around for a while, more developers can build web apps or games with a multiplayer element. As an example, Telegram asks users to try the @durgerkingbot to get a taste of how web apps work on the platform.
Elsewhere, the app’s attachment menu gets faster scrolling, while bots can now use collectible usernames, which made its way to Telegram last year. Meanwhile, Fragment, the company’s blockchain-based trading platform, now supports gifting a Telegram Premium subscription to others, and buying one for yourself.
There’s also a better way to access Send When Online, requiring users only to press and hold the Send button, provided they have last seen enabled. Furthermore, Telegram 9.6 allows users to create a group without adding any members, which the developers say can help users pin some notes or modify permissions before including people.
Lastly, groups with fewer than 100 members that have topics enabled can now glean more information from the read receipts, such as knowing the time when other members viewed your message.
The update is rolling out right now, so it shouldn’t be long before you see these changes across the app. You can either check the Play Store for an update to Telegram, or grab Telegram 9.6 from APKMirror.
