In a recent development, Telegram has expanded its Stories feature beyond Premium subscribers, making it accessible to all users worldwide. The initial launch last month was exclusively for Telegram Premium subscribers, but now the company is extending this captivating feature to its entire user base across the globe.
Telegram’s Stories feature, as described in a blog post, appears as an expandable section at the top of the screen. This layout allows users to see their complete chat list and folders while engaging with Stories. When viewing a story, users can easily tap to share, reply privately, or react. The default setting ensures that users view stories from all their contacts on their home page. They can also personalize their experience by hiding stories from specific contacts, sending them to their archived chats.
The expansion of Stories to all users coincides with Telegram’s introduction of several new features, marking one of the platform’s most substantial updates to date. Notably, these enhancements align with Telegram’s 10th anniversary as a messaging platform.
Founder Pavel Durov conveyed his excitement about this new stage for Telegram, saying, “Today’s gradual roll-out of stories for all users marks the beginning of this new stage in the history of Telegram. While this past decade was exciting, the next 10 years will be the time when Telegram reaches its true potential.”
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the new features introduced in Telegram Stories:
1. Dual Camera Mode: Telegram Stories can now utilize a smartphone’s front and rear cameras simultaneously to capture scenes from different angles.
2. Add Locations and Stickers: Users can enhance their stories with text, drawings, stickers, and location tags. Captions with extended text descriptions are also supported.
3. Enhanced Privacy Controls: The update introduces more refined privacy settings for Stories. Users posting a story can choose from four privacy options: Everyone, My Contacts, Close Friends, and Selected Contacts. These settings can be customized, allowing users to create a list of contacts excluded from viewing their story.
4. Stories in Profiles: Unlike other platforms, Telegram Stories remain visible for up to 48 hours. Users can select durations of six, 12, 24, or 48 hours. These stories can be posted to user profiles, arranged in a grid format, allowing both old and new connections to enjoy the highlight reel.
5. Editing Stories: For the first time in social media history, Telegram users can update various aspects of their story without reposting it from scratch. Changes to visibility, captions, on-screen text, and stickers can be made seamlessly.
6. Stealth Mode: Telegram introduces a Stealth Mode for Stories, enabling users to erase their viewing history from the past five minutes and conceal their subsequent viewing activity for the next 25 minutes. Please note that this feature is available only for Premium members.
To activate the Stealth Mode feature, users need to open any story, access the menu (Menu iOS or Menu Android), and select ‘Stealth Mode’.
With these remarkable additions, Telegram is redefining the storytelling experience on its platform, encouraging users to engage, express, and connect in novel ways. As Telegram embarks on this new chapter, users can anticipate a more vibrant and interactive journey within the app.
