The update also introduces support for Android 13’s themed icons
Telegram is one of the best-known secure messaging apps out there. Despite offering its services for free to all users since its inception in 2013, the company announced a major shift in its functioning by launching a paid tier a few months ago, known as Telegram Premium. This week, the app developer announced the rollout of version 9.0 of Telegram, which includes some new features primarily targeting Premium subscribers.
The company is announcing what it calls Infinite Reactions with the new 9.0 update, offering an endless stream of custom emoji for Premium subscribers, developer said. The arrival of Infinite Reactions has also led to a redesign of the reaction panel to accommodate the endless list of emoji. Non-paying users will also benefit from this update, gaining access to “dozens” of reactions previously exclusive to Premium.
Premium subscribers, however, will be able to attach up to three emoji reactions to any message. Telegram said the feature is currently available for individual and group chats, but group admins can toggle custom reactions on or off.
Telegram Premium subscribers are also getting Emoji Statuses which lets them add an emoji next to their name to indicate their mood. Adding a custom emoji status effectively replaces the Premium badge which other users see when they browse the user’s profile or see their screen name in group chats and the chat list. Users can choose from seven standard preset statuses capable of changing their color depending on your Telegram theme. As the company points out, users can also opt for the endless list of custom emoji for their status. At the top of the list, users will receive status suggestions to indicate when they’re at work, traveling, sleeping, and so on.
Telegram users on Android will now witness smoother animations while opening, closing, or changing media. Meanwhile, Android 13 users can benefit from the new thematic Telegram app icon which adapts to the Material You accents at play as well as dark mode configuration. Furthermore, Android users can finally prioritize ongoing file downloads by readjusting the list with a tap-and-drag gesture. The feature is already available on the iOS version of Telegram and is only now making its way to Android.
Lastly, Telegram is announcing username-based vanity shortlinks to complement the existing t.me/username URLs. This update adds a unique link format for each username — username.t.me — making the forward-slash (/) redundant.
Telegram 9.0 is already live on the Google Play Store, but you can also choose to sideload it onto your device from APK Mirror.
