What you need to know
- Telegram's 10-year celebration brings a massive update including opening Stories to all users and introducing Dual Camera.
- Dual Camera lets users record or capture photos using their front and rear camera.
- A new set of "Granular Privacy Settings" await those looking to create Stories with customizable parameters.
- Users can edit Stories that have been posted without needing to repost.
Telegram is celebrating 10 years of operation, and in doing so, the platform is rolling out a highly requested feature for everyone.
According to Telegram's blog post, the messaging service is rolling out an update that brings Stories to all users. Regardless of Premium status, all users can post, view, interact, and reply to Stories on Telegram. The latest feature is contained within an expandable section at the top of the app.
Additionally, Telegram adds users will find stories from their contacts on their homepage by default.
Capturing Stories gets a little more exciting as Telegram introduces Dual Camera mode — similar to Snap and other apps. The platform states users can snap photos or capture video using their front and rear cameras simultaneously.
There is also the option to decide where a camera should be positioned beforehand or during a recording session.
If the content going up is time sensitive, there are several story duration options of up to 48 hours. There's also the option of saving Stories to your profile, as well, for "old contacts and new connections."
The included media editor contains ways users can add text, drawings, stickers, or a location tag. Telegram adds longer forms of description are possible via captions for Stories, as well. There's also the ability to add links and tagging friends, too.
Furthermore, Telegram added several editing tools users can interact with when their Stories have already been posted. All elements of a user's story can be edited after the fact, including visibility, captions, on-screen text, stickers, and more. Changing anything will not require story-goers to repost their content — it'll simply update.
However, users can only edit their story if they are accessing it from the same device it was posted from.
Telegram is also introducing a new set of "Granular Privacy Settings" for its rollout of Stories. The platform states users will find four privacy options: everyone, my contacts, close friends, and selected contacts before posting. The post explains each option offers further customization with the added choice of creating a list of users who should never see your Stories.
Opening your own story will deliver a list of people who have seen your content alongside any interaction, such as a reaction emoji they may have had.
Telegram's Stories started arriving on the platform back in July, but posting was restricted to Premium users only. With posting open to everyone, the platform is still trying to entice users to subscribe. On its tour page, Stories is said to offer Priority Order which bumps Premium subscribers to the top of the viewing order over those who aren't.
Stealth mode conceals the fact that you've viewed someone's story, while permanent view history gives you inside information into who looked at your content even after it's expired.
Lastly, saving stories to the gallery, longer captions, and the ability to create up to 100 Stories a day round out the Premium benefits.
