Telegram Update Released: Topics in Groups, Option to Convert Video Messages to Text and Collectible Usernames

Telegram has unveiled an update that gives users the ability to divide chats into topics, acquire collectible usernames for profiles and channels, convert video messages into text, and more.

Topics in Groups

Group administrators with 200 or more members can now organize discussions by topic. The feature allows users to create separate chats within the main group for certain discussions.

For each topic, users can set up notifications for new messages and quickly view the media files that have been published in that particular topic in the "Shared media" section.

Participants can chat in any thread using the full arsenal of familiar tools, including polls, pinned messages and bots.

By the end of the year, Telegram also plans to release other communication tools that are more suitable for small groups. You can check out the features of the innovation in a demo public group.

Collectible Usernames

It is now possible to link multiple collectible usernames to accounts and channels - in addition to one regular public name. You can buy them on the auction platform Fragment.

Collectible usernames look and work just like regular user names. They appear in global search results and can be used outside of Telegram in the username.t.me and t.me/username link formats.

They can also be shorter than 5 characters. The collectible public name can be sold if desired. Telegram also stressed that any of the purchased public names can also be deactivated.

Option to Convert Video Messages Into Text

From now on, Telegram Premium subscribers will be able to instantly translate speech from video messages into text. This feature works in the same way as voice decoding, available only to Premium subscribers.

Updated Night Mode on iOS and Text Size Adjustment on Android

Telegram has updated the design of the dark themes in the iOS app, picking up more balanced shade combinations and improving the blur effect in translucent elements.

For Android users, changing the text size in the Chat Settings menu now applies to all chat elements, including link previews, service messages and so on.

New Emoji Packs, Interactive Emoji, Reactions and Other Changes

The update introduces 12 new official emoji packs. With a Telegram Premium subscription, users can use them in any messages and media captions, as well as themed statuses.

Telegram also introduced 4 new interactive emoji that are accompanied by full-screen animations in private chats - and can be used as reactions to messages.

In addition, 3 themed reactions in any chats are available to all users in honour of Halloween.

There are other visual innovations as well. From now on, moving your finger to the left to reply to a message is accompanied by a new animation. Tapping on a phone number in the user profile opens a new menu for selecting the type of call.