Telegram Update Brings Video Stickers, Improved Message Reactions, New Navigation Options, More

Telegram has announced an update that brings video stickers, improved message reactions, new interactive emojis, new navigation options, along with some bug fixes and improvements. The instant messaging service will now allow users to create animated stickers from videos. Telegram has also improved how message reactions are displayed. Users will also be shown when their messages have received reactions. Furthermore, Telegram has added five more emojis to its interactive emojis roster. The instant messaging service rivals the likes of WhatsApp and Signal.

Through a blog post, Telegram revealed a bunch of new features as well as improvements for the instant messaging service. One of the first features announced is video stickers. This will allow users to create their own stickers from regular videos, easing the sticker creation process. Users can create stickers using any video editing platform and publish sticker packs using the sticker bot.

Another improvement to Telegram bundled with the January update is better reactions. Message reactions were introduced in the previous update, and now users can show a bigger reaction by long pressing on a desired reaction. The reactions are synchronised and the recipient will see the animations in real time. Reactions also have a read status and a heart icon appears in the chat list menu when a user has unseen reactions.

Telegram has added five more reactions and can also be sent across as interactive emojis. Users can now send face with hearts, exploding head, thinking face, rage face, and clapping emojis. Sending a single aforementioned emoji will show an animation when the user taps on it.

Furthermore, Telegram has also improved its in-app navigation. Users can now hold the Back button to return to a specific chat. These chats include chats opened from forwarded messages, links, usernames, profiles, and more.

Lastly, the instant messaging service has introduced many bug fixes and improvements with this update. Telegram has improved call quality, added support for translation to Instant View pages, added an option to send silent messages from the sharing menu, and more such improvements. On iOS, users will now see a new animation when tapping on the icons on the tab bar.