Telegram Launches Group Voice Chat Rooms; Android Users Get New Animations, SD Card Storage Support

Telegram Voice Chats is a Discord-like always-on chat room.

Advertisement
By Sourabh Kulesh | Updated: 24 December 2020 12:14 IST
Highlights
  • Telegram for Android gets new animations
  • This is the 12th update to the app in 2020
  • Telegram for iOS gets Siri support
Telegram Launches Group Voice Chat Rooms; Android Users Get New Animations, SD Card Storage Support

Android and iOS users on Telegram can also edit a photo

Photo Credit: Telegram

Telegram has launched group voice chats that are a bit like Discord rooms. Users can participate in always-on, group voice chats while they simultaneously do other things on the app. As per the company, the new update will allow any Telegram group to become a voice chat room. Telegram says that although Voice Chats are not group calls, “they can achieve similar goals”. Voice chats are now part of existing text chats, and operate as a persistent option to speak live with friends or family. It also gives them the freedom to drop in and drop out of a group voice chat as they please, just like in Discord.

As per a blog post by the Telegram team, since Voice Chats run in parallel to texting, it essentially adds another “layer of ephemeral talk to the group”. It means that after joining a voice chat, users can browse conversations, send texts and media like they generally do on the Telegram app, while staying connected to the voice chat. They can mute/ unmute the conversation through the microphone controls on the screen.

For example, if you have joined a group voice chat in your office and you hear that someone is taking a break to get lunch, you can quickly jump in to request that person to bring some for you as well.

Telegram says that this is the 12th update to the app in 2020.

Advertisement

Voice Chats features

Just like with Discord, another app that allows group voice chats, any group on Telegram can now become an always-on voice chat room. The company says that Voice Chats are not group calls, however, they can achieve similar goals. The groups that have active voice chats have a bar at the top that allows the members to know who is speaking at the moment. There are on-screen microphone controls that allow users to quickly mute/ unmute or end conversations.

Telegram users on Android will have a system-wide floating widget that shows microphone controls and who is currently talking even when the Telegram app is running in the background. There's also a menu that allows members in a group voice chat to invite more people. As per the company, Voice Chats can accommodate “a few thousand participants”. To start a voice chat admins can open any group and tap (⋯) or (⋮) > Start Voice Chat.

Advertisement

The new group voice chat feature will be available on the Telegram app for Android and iOS, and also on Telegram Desktop and the native macOS app.

Apart from the new group voice chat feature, Telegram has also got other additions and improvements. Android users can now move their app data from internal storage to external SD cards. The Android version has been updated with new animations for message button, chat folders, among others. As per the company, animated stickers on Telegram deliver 180 frame animations with infinite resolution in less than 50 KB, allowing them to load faster than before.

Advertisement

Android users on Telegram can now also edit a photo, and iOS users can tap the pen button to quickly edit and send back a photo they have received. iOS users can also enable Siri to read incoming messages aloud in their headphones. Additionally, to help identify potential new features and locate bugs within the app, Telegram has also launched a public Bug and Suggestion Platform.

Telegram will be rolling out this update gradually to allow users to suggest new features and report bugs.


iPhone 12 Pro Series Is Amazing, but Why Is It So Expensive in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Top Smartphones Under Rs 30,000 in India (June 2025): Check List
  2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 AI Camera Features Teased
  3. Poco F7 Spotted on Geekbench With Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, 12GB of RAM
  4. OnePlus 13s Sale Starts Today in India: Check Price and Offers
  5. iQOO Z10 Lite 5G Battery Capacity Confirmed Ahead of India Launch
  6. Google Pixel 10 Series Could Add Support for This iPhone-Inspired Feature
  7. Realme Narzo 80 Lite 5G to Launch in India on This Day
  8. Red Magic Gaming Tablet 3 Pro With Snapdragon 8 Elite Chip Debuts
  1. Poco F7 With Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC Surfaces on Geekbench After Company Hints at Imminent Launch
  2. Realme Narzo 80 Lite 5G India Launch Date Set for June 16
  3. OnePlus Nord 5 Allegedly Visits Geekbench With Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, 12GB of RAM
  4. US Senators Seek Details on Meta's Stablecoin Plans as GENIUS Act Stands Close to Approval
  5. Disney, Universal Sue Image Creator Midjourney for Copyright Infringement
  6. Truecaller Introduces Secure Calls for Businesses, Aimed at Protecting Users from Online Scams
  7. PS Plus Game Catalog June Titles Announced: FBC: Firebreak, Battlefield 2042 and More
  8. OnePlus 13s Sale Starts Today in India: Check Price, Discount, Bank Offers and More
  9. Red Magic Gaming Tablet 3 Pro With Snapdragon 8 Elite, Up to 24GB RAM Launched: Price, Specifications
  10. iQOO Z10 Lite 5G Battery Capacity Confirmed Ahead of India Launch, to Be Powered By Dimensity 6300 SoC
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.