The latest Telegram update is rolling out with some handsome upgrades. In a blog post published late last week, Telegram announced it had redesigned the Android version of the app, and added a new chat archive feature.
Archives works like this: swipe left on a conversation and it will move to your archived chats folder. If someone from that chat sends a message in the future, you’ll receive a notification and it will return to your chat list like any other conversation. Archived chats can also be hidden from their folder with another left swipe, and you can view hidden archives by dragging the screen down.
You can also pin archived chats to keep them in a preferred order.
Telegram for Android has received a new chat menu too. Tap and hold on a chat to launch the menu where you’ll be able to select multiple chats to mute, archive, pin or delete them.
Moving onto the redesign, the first thing you’ll notice here is the new button, which trades the previous very-clearly-a-paper-airplane design (seen in the main image) for something a little more subtle. It’s in the middle of the image below:
Under the hood, there are other changes, including a “more stylish” and “more functional” message select feature, and the new quick forwarding button which pops up at the bottom right of the display when you tap and hold a message.
Finally, there’s a new expanded chat list option in the Chat Settings which allows you to see up to three lines per chat instead of just two in the chat list view.
The update is rolling out now over-the-air. You can download the latest Telegram update at the Play Store link below.
Recent updates
Telegram v4.8 adds night mode, video streaming, Telegram Login
February 7, 2019: Telegram v4.8 added video streaming, which essentially allows the user to start viewing the video without having to fully download it. The progress bar shows a grey strip indicating how much of the video has been cached. Meanwhile, this version also brings support for automatic night mode. It is not turned on by default but can be easily enabled by going to Settings > Theme > Auto-Night Mode.
The last major update added Telegram Login. Telegram Login is a widget that websites can use to issue an authorization token by sending a confirmation message to the Telegram client on the phone using the phone number. Logging in with Telegram will send the Telegram name, username, and profile picture to the website owner. The user’s phone number, however, remains hidden. Websites can also request permissions to let their bots do the talking. Telegram Login offers fine control over the entire process and the authorization permissions can be reviewed and revoked as needed.
Self-destructing images and videos, improved photo editor
July 24, 2018: The biggest addition in this Telegram update is that you can now send self-destructing photos and videos in one-on-one chats. The great thing about this is that it’s customizable — you can set a self-destruct timer that starts when the recipient opens the photo or video. Also, if the recipient takes a screenshot, the app will notify you immediately. Other new features found in the update include an improved photo editor that allows you to edit images faster, and the option of adding a bio to your profile so that people in large group chats know who you are. You can now also download media from large public channels quicker thanks to the new encrypted CDNs.
Short video messages
May 19, 2018: This update added the option of sending short video messages. Just tap the small microphone button to switch to video mode. When the camera icon pops up, press and hold the icon and a video will begin recording.