Telegram is testing welcome messages for channels and groups

Telegram has started testing a new feature in the latest Android beta that allows channel and group owners to send welcome messages to new members.

The feature could be used to notify users about community rules and other important information, removing the need to rely on third-party bots for automated welcome messages.

Welcome messages are temporary and visible only to the individual user after they join a channel or group. Other members cannot see them.

How to create a welcome message

Open the settings for a group or channel.
Find the Welcome Message section.
Enter the message that each new member will see after joining.

The feature is currently only partially functional on Telegram’s main server. According to Telegram Info, citing an insider, bots will also be able to send welcome messages to users who join a chat, with support for advanced formatting.

One potential downside is abuse by channels and other projects. Third-party welcome bots are already used not only to share rules but also to automatically send promotional messages.

Once Telegram officially rolls out welcome messages, the built-in feature could potentially be used for similar spam, including messages along the lines of “The channel administrator wants to contact you...”