Telegram's New Update Brings Several Improvements to Messages, and More Features

Telegram received an update recently that added new features to the instant messaging platform. The most notable of them is Saved Messages 2.0 which now lets users filter and customise going through the saved texts, media, and links. Additionally, the platform also added several new features throughout the month such as One-Time Voice and Video Messages, pause and resume recordings, Read Time in private chats, a new design for shared contacts, and more. The update is being rolled out to both Android and iOS versions of the Telegram app.

Saved Messages 2.0

With Saved Messages, users can forward text, media, and links for viewing easily later. The messenger platform has now made several improvements to the feature. First, users can now view the saved messages as chats. This feature will let you see the forwarded messages as separate chat windows, with each featuring the messages saved from a particular contact, group, or channel. Users can also pin any chat to keep it at the top.

To do this, tap the title space after clicking on Saved Messages. It will automatically take you to the chats. Alternatively, you can tap on the three vertical dots on the top right and select View as Messages* or View as Chats.

Second, tags have also been added to Saved Messages. Now, users can use emojis to tag and filter the saved messages. The tags are based on emojis but users can also use words to name the tags. Once added, clicking on a tag will quickly filter the saved messages for that tag. To use this feature, users can simply react to a message with an emoji, and it will become its tag. These tags will appear on the top of the Saved Message screen and can be clicked to filter by tags.

Finally, a new Saved tab has been added to the shared media section. Every Telegram chat, group, and channel comes with a shared media section that lets the user quickly scroll through images, documents, and links. This section now has a saved tab that will show all the Saved Messages from that particular chat.

Other Telegram features

One-Time Voice and Video Messages: Telegram has introduced the view-once setting for voice and video messages, letting users gain more control over shared media. Upon playback, these messages are automatically deleted, which makes them more secure. To send one-time messages, users can long-press the record button, swipe up to lock them, and then press the One-Time icon to enable the feature. For videos, it works exactly the same as images.

Pause and resume recording: Alongside, Telegram has also added the feature to pause a recording midway. Earlier, users had to send several voice or video messages if there was a break in between. Now, users can simply pause the recording and then play it again later. To enable this, simply swipe up while long pressing the record button and then press the pause button.

Read Time in private chats: In Telegram, when a message sent by you shows one check mark, it means it has been delivered but not read. Similarly, two check marks mean the message has been read as well. Now, in private chats, users can see the Read Time to know the exact time when a message was read. However, users can choose to hide the read status through the Privacy Settings. Read times are only visible for 7 days after the message was seen.

New design for shared contacts: In October, Telegram added a new feature for premium users where they could add a colour, colour combination, and emojis to customize their account in the Appearance Settings. This change would be reflected in their name, the messages they send, any media or links they share, as well as their replies. Now, the messenger platform has added a new feature where sharing the contact of a premium user will create a contact card that would show this customization.

Apart from this, new app icons have been added to Telegram for macOS, video recording and overall quality have been improved, and faster loading times and higher-quality video stories for premium users have been added.