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This is the English mirror of @tginfo. Ask Questions & Discuss: @tginfochaten Beta Channel: @betainfoen TON: @infotonen Other Languages: @tginfoall Feedback & Commecrial: @infowritebot
Group Calls With E2E Encryption in Beta Version
Users of the beta version of Telegram for Android 11.9.1 may now participate in group calls with end-to-end encryption.
To create a group call, navigate to “Calls › Start New Call” from the drawer and tap “Create Call Link”. The application will create a link to the group call in the form of t.me/call, which you need to send to the users you want to invite to the call.
Group call participants have the following options:
• Muting the microphone
• Broadcasting the main or front camera
• Adding new participants to the call (taking into account their privacy settings) and sharing the call link
• Minimizing the call screen to allow them to use the application while in a call
End-to-end encryption protects group calls from eavesdropping: all call data is encrypted so that only call participants can decrypt it.
#Android #beta #Calls
Telegram Begins Revocation of Fraudulently Obtained Stars, Gifts, and Premium Subscriptions
Some Telegram users have received notifications from the official Telegram account stating that their Stars, gifts, and Premium subscriptions have been revoked.
This action occurs when senders gift items to other users and later initiate chargebacks — likely through their bank. As a result, the funds are returned to the sender, and the gifted items or subscriptions are revoked from the recipient.
The @tginfo editorial team has no information on what happens if recipients have already spent the Stars by the time the revocation occurs.
Updated at 07:30 UTC
1. Users probably could request refunds not only from banks, but also from app stores.
2. If users paid for a purchase from a bot with stars, and then request a refund of the funds paid for these stars, and the bank returns the funds, then the corresponding stars are revoked from the bot balance.
3. After the stars are revoked, the balance can be less than zero.
#Stars #Gifts #Premium
Telegram Desktop Has Been Updated to Version 5.13.1
What's new
5.13.0:
• Allow transferring my unique gifts from Send Gift section.
• Edit type of gifts you accept in Settings > Privacy and Security.
• Swipe navigation using swipe gesture on touchpads / touchscreens.
• Choose chat list quick action for swipe or middle click.
5.13.1:
• Fix crash in group/channel stories.
Download: official website or GitHub.
#update #desktop
Telegram Premium Weekly Subscription for Receiving SMS Messages
The beta version of Telegram for Android 11.9 mentions a weekly Telegram Premium subscription.
The platform may limit some users' ability to receive SMS messages with one-time codes. The messenger may start prompting such users to subscribe to Telegram Premium for 1 week.
The price of such a subscription is currently unknown.
❗ In 2021, SMS authorization costs reached a quarter of the company's total expenses.
InsideAds — advertising network of channels and chats
Channels and chats monetization:
• Automatic slots filling
• Monetization without advertising posts
• Channels with 100+ subscribers are available for connect
Advertising launching on channels and chats:
• Payment per subscriber
• Unmotivated subscriptions
• Targeting by language, geo and interests
Try: @InsideAds_bot
#ad
Telegram Retroactively Shortened Gift-to-Stars Exchange Period to 7 Days
Starting March 17, Telegram now only allows users to exchange a received gift for stars within 7 days of receiving it. Once that window has passed, the “Convert” button on the gift screen disappears.
❗ In some cases, the “Convert” button may still be visible, but tapping it results in an error message.
❗ The new seven-day limit even applies to gifts received before this change took effect. Gifts obtained before March 11, 2025, can no longer be exchanged for stars — despite Telegram originally promising a 90-day exchange window at the time of receipt.
Some Details About Telegram Moderation from the eSafety Investigation
Telegram is tight-lipped regarding its structure and internal processes. However, as the number of users grows, so does the pressure on the company: regulators around the world are demanding greater transparency, especially when it comes to user safety.
In March 2024, the Australian internet safety regulator eSafety began an investigation into Telegram's moderation practices. The @tginfo editors have studied the published document, in which the messenger discloses to the regulator some details about the operation of systems that block illegal content.
If you're interested in learning how Telegram balances privacy and security, how many reports are processed by moderators versus algorithms, and how automatic content scanning works, we recommend reading our analysis.
https://tginfo.me/esafety-analysis-en/
#antispam
Telegram Desktop Has Been Updated to Version 5.12.2
What's new:
• Set a fee for incoming messages from unknown users.
• Set a fee for messages in groups or channel comments.
• Show some information about who's messaging you.
• Pin gifts on your profile.
Download: official website or GitHub.
#update #desktop
Telegram Has Tightened the Limits on Publishing Stories
Users that are not subscribed to Telegram Premium may now only publish up to 1 story per day, 3 stories per week, and 10 stories per month. On top of this, the list of countries that are unable to post stories without Premium has expanded to include at least the UK, Germany, and Indonesia. We haven't verified if any other countries are affected and it is not known if this was intentional or an error.
Along with those countries, users with phone numbers from Russia, Ukraine, India, and Iran still cannot publish stories without first subscribing to Telegram Premium.
List of known countries with no free stories (in alphabetical order):
• Czech Republic
• Cyprus
• Estonia
• Germany
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Israel
• Italy
• Poland
• Russia
• Spain
• Ukraine
If you've lost the ability to post stories without Premium today and your country is not listed, tell us in the comments so we can update the list.
When the feature was first launched, Telegram allowed up to 3 free stories per day. However, in early February, the limit was reduced to 2 stories per day.
#premium #stories
More Details About Your Chat Partner
The beta version of Telegram for Android 11.8 now provides additional information about users who start conversations with you.
The app now displays:
• The country that issued the user's phone number
• The month and year of their account registration
• The number of mutual groups
• Their verification status
Pavel Durov previously announced this update on his channel.
#Android #beta
Fine Issued by Australian Regulator eSafety
According to The Guardian, Telegram delayed providing information on measures it had taken to combat terrorism and materials related to extremism and child exploitation by 160 days.
Multiple companies, including Telegram, were issued a notice on March 18th of last year to provide said information by May 6th of last year, but Telegram provided the requested information on October 13th of last year.
The Australian internet regulator has assessed this delay at $957,780 AUD, or more than $600,000 USD. The platform now has 28 days to either appeal the fine, pay it, or request an extension to the payment deadline.
It is stated that Telegram intends to appeal the fine, citing that it is “unfair and disproportionate”.
#Australia #fines
Telegram Is Testing “Conferences”
Telegram for iOS 11.7.1 has an interface for conference calls. This feature will allow users to add new participants to an ongoing conversation, even if it was started directly between two people.
Recall that previously, it was only possible to organize a call for three or more users in a group or channel.
To see the button for adding participants to an ongoing conversation, go to the debug menu and enable "Conference [WIP]". The function itself does not work yet.
#iOS #calls
Global Search for Stickers and Emojis in Telegram
Previously, Telegram users could only search for stickers from their own and official sticker sets using emojis or keywords that matched those emojis.
In December 2024, Telegram implemented computer vision algorithms and assigned keywords to stickers from official sets, enabling users to search for sticker sets with free-form queries. For example, users can now search for stickers by typing "paper airplane", which was previously impossible since there is no paper airplane emoji.
In February 2025, keyword search became available not only for official sets but also for "millions of stickers and emojis uploaded by users". It seems that the search currently displays some of the most popular sets.
To use this feature, you need a more recent version of the Telegram app. Supported versions include:
• Android: 11.7.3 (5696) and above
• iOS: 11.7.0 (30143) and above
• macOS (Swift): 11.7.270736 and above
• Telegram Desktop: Not yet available
• Unigram: Not yet available
According to the Telegram team, the search feature supports 29 languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian. @tginfo editors verified that the search works not only in the languages listed in the telegram.org language picker, but also in others, such as Hebrew. The search function also recognizes text on stickers.
It's important to note that search results depend not only on the search language but also on the interface language set in Telegram. For example, to search in Turkish, you need to set Turkish as the app's language. The @tginfo team observed that English queries work under most languages, but when switching the interface to English, more results appear for such queries. Queries in some other languages appear to work even when the app is set to English.
In his blog, Pavel Durov announced plans to add more sticker packs to the search results once the system can effectively filter out inappropriate content.
Currently, there is no option to disable the new sticker and emoji search feature. Additionally, there is no button to report search results.
#stickers
Telegram Might Start Using CAPTCHA
Changes in the TDLib source code indicate that the messenger may start using a CAPTCHA — an "I'm not a robot" verification for certain actions. According to the code, the verification will be applied only in official Telegram apps.
Generally, CAPTCHA is used to protect against spam and other unwanted requests. Previously, the messenger could only block such suspicious actions.
It is still unknown for which actions and how often the verification may be required. There is a chance Telegram may use an invisible CAPTCHA, which will collect signals in the background and provide Telegram with a bot score when it needs it.
@tginfo editors think CAPTCHA can reduce the number of errors and floodwaits experienced by some users. Alas, if this leads to more abuse, the messenger may tighten the system instead, and in that case, CAPTCHA will become an additional source of annoyance — and if Telegram will use an invisible CAPTCHA, users would not have alternative paths of remedy in cases when their activity is deemed suspicious.
The source code mentions reCAPTCHA — a user verification solution by Google. This is probably the technology that the messenger will be using. This raises some questions about privacy, since reCAPCHA uses extensive data collection to detect bots. Keep in mind that the feature is still in development, and the Telegram team may modify or cancel it.
#tdlib #antispam
Telegram Has Tightened The Limits on Publishing Stories
Users that are not subscribed to Telegram Premium may now only publish up to 2 stories per day, up to 5 stories per week and up to 20 stories per month.
Previously, such users were able to publish up to 3 stories per day, 7 stories per week, and 30 stories per month.
It is also worth noting that users with phone numbers from Russia, Ukraine, India, and Iran cannot publish stories at all without first subscribing to Telegram Premium.
#premium #stories
Telegram Allows You to Buy Ads That Will be Displayed in Search Results
The official advertising platform Telegram Ads now allows you to buy ads that will be displayed in search results. Advertisers can now select keywords and configure other parameters, as in regular advertising campaigns.
The platform informs the user that the ad will not be displayed to users from Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Palestine.
updated at 19:27 UTC
If you buy search advertising for TON, then such advertising will not be shown to users from Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Palestine.
And if you buy such advertising for stars, for example, when withdrawing stars from the balance of a channel, group or bot, then it will be shown to all users regardless of their country.
#aboutads
Sending Messages to the Past
Lines were found in the Telegram source code that a new feature might soon let users send messages to the past.
When sending a message in a private chat, Telegram Premium subscribers will be able to select any moment in time within the past 12 months. The sent message will appear in the corresponding place in the conversation.
If you receive a message from the future anytime soon — don’t worry! It simply means that this feature has been released in the stable version of an upcoming app release. By the way, if you don’t have a paid subscription yet, congratulations! You will in the near future — otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to send messages to the past.
Telegram for Android and iOS Updated to Version 11.9
The following features are now available to users in the new version of the applications:
New Privacy Settings for Gifts
Premium users can now choose the types of gifts they want to receive from others:
• Limited-Edition gifts
• Unlimited gifts
• Unique gifts
• Premium Subscription gifts
Additionally, a gift button can now be enabled in the message input field in private chats.
Chat Bot Permission Settings
A new option in "Telegram for Business" allows users to fine-tune chat bot permissions. The settings are divided into four categories:
• Message management
• Profile management
• Gift and star management
• Story management
To access advanced bot permission settings, the bot must first be added in "Telegram for Business › Chat Bots". This feature is available only for Telegram Premium subscribers.
Additionally, the apps now include:
• Service messages about refunded stars used for sending private chat.
• New animations when pressing and holding gifts.
• A notification when the pinned gift limit (6) is reached, allowing users to unpin a previous one.
• Support for local data storage in mini-apps.
How to Update
• Android: Download from Google Play, APK from the official website, or the verified channel.
• iOS: Download from the App Store.
#update #Android #iOS
Ads in Telegram Search Results
New strings in the beta version of Telegram for Android 11.9 suggest that advertising may soon appear in search results within the app.
According to these strings, the new ad system will function as follows:
• Ads will be based solely on search queries and will not use users' personal data.
• Telegram Premium subscribers will have the option to disable ads entirely.
• Anyone can place ads in search results through the Telegram ad platform.
#aboutAds #search
Telegram Surpasses One Billion Monthly Active Users
Pavel Durov announced on his channel that Telegram has surpassed 1 billion monthly active users. This achievement makes the messaging app the second most popular in the world after WhatsApp (excluding China's WeChat).
On average, users open Telegram approximately 21 times a day and spend 41 minutes daily on the app. Pavel also highlighted the profit of $547 million for 2024.
#statistics
Various Services Now Deliver Verification Codes via Telegram
In October 2024, Telegram launched Gateway — a new solution for delivering one-time authentication codes directly to phone numbers.
• Telegram Gateway enables websites and apps to send authentication codes to users via the phone number linked to their Telegram account.
• This service provides an alternative to the less reliable and more expensive SMS texts.
• Similar services are offered by WhatsApp and Viber. Telegram claims its version is more affordable than competitors.
• Codes arrive via the @VerificationCodes bot, which can contact users even if they never interacted with it before.
• Companies can only send codes containing between 4 and 8 characters.
Over the past several months, an increasing number of users worldwide have reported receiving verification codes in Telegram from prominent services like Facebook, Google, Amazon, PSN, Coinbase, and Tinder. As these services seem to use Telegram Gateway selectively rather than consistently, @tginfo's editors have been unable to confirm whether all mentioned companies actively utilize Telegram Gateway.
It's unclear to @tginfo if these platforms have direct partnerships with Telegram or if intermediaries have independently integrated the Gateway service. Additionally, no public announcements or mentions of such collaborations from established SMS gateway providers could be found by our editorial team.
In the cases known to @tginfo, the mentioned services don't provide any specific indication when codes are sent via Telegram, typically stating instead that the code was delivered via SMS.
#gateway
Telegram May Introduce ‘Frozen’ Accounts for Rule Violators
The @tginfo editors have discovered new strings in Unigram's source code, indicating that the messenger may soon introduce the ability to put user accounts into a “frozen” state in an upcoming update.
Based on these strings, one can speculate:
• Accounts could be frozen for violating Telegram's Terms and Conditions.
• While frozen, users “can access their account but cannot send messages or perform any actions”. A frozen account would operate in “read-only mode”. Presumably, this restriction would even extend to private messaging with contacts.
• Telegram may offer users the option to appeal this decision through @SpamBot. If the freeze is not lifted, the account will be deleted.
• It is possible that other users may see a special indicator on profiles of frozen accounts.
• It remains unclear if “freezing” will be used to all permanently banned accounts before they are deleted.
This feature is still under development, and the above information consists of assumptions by @tginfo editors. Details could be inaccurate or subject to future changes.
#antispam
Telegram for Android and iOS Updated to Version 11.8
The following features are now available to users in the new version of the applications:
Paid Messages
Users subscribed to Telegram Premium may now charge a fee for private messages. Contacts and those exempted are not subject to fees. The options for this feature are located in “Settings › Privacy and Security › Messages”. When “Charge for Messages” is selected, you may select the amount of stars required to send a message and users that are exempt from fees. 85% of the stars spent on fees go to the recipient of the messages, and Telegram takes the other 15%.
Paid Messages in Groups
Groups may also set a fee for sending messages, requiring that regular members of the group pay the selected fee for each message they send. When enabled, messages cannot be scheduled, and existing scheduled messages will fail to send. Like the fee for messages in 1-on-1 chats, 85% of the stars go to the group, and the other 15% go to Telegram.
Withdrawal of Stars
Users may now withdraw stars from their personal balance through the Fragment.com platform. The corresponding button is available in the “My Stars” section of the in-app settings.
Premium for Stars
Users may now gift and purchase Premium subscriptions using stars. At the moment, three months costs 1,000 stars, six months costs 1,500 stars, and a year costs 2,500 stars.
More Details About Your Chat Partner
When someone outside your contacts messages you for the first time, the following information is now displayed:
• Their country (based on their phone number).
• Any shared groups you have in common.
• When they joined Telegram.
• When they last updated their username or profile picture.
• Indicators showing whether the user is an official account, has third-party verification, or is just a regular user.
Pinning Collectible Gifts to Your Profile
Users may now pin collectible gifts to their profiles in “My Profile › Gifts”. To do this, long press the desired gift, and then press “Pin”. Pinned gifts are displayed at the top of their owner's profile in addition to being at the top of their public gifts, and on Android the first pinned gift sits atop the owner's profile picture.
Broadcasting Content From Telegram Using Google Cast
Users may now broadcast media, such as videos, photos, and music, to devices that support the Google Cast protocol.
The broadcast function is available from the media viewer and music player.
Article: https://telegram.org/blog/star-messages-gateway-2-0-and-more
How to Update
• Android: Download from Google Play, APK from the official website, or the verified channel.
• iOS: Download from the App Store.
#update #Android #iOS
Paid Messages in Groups
On the Telegram test server, users can set a fee for sending messages in their groups. Today, this feature works like this:
Settings
• You can enable paid messaging in the “Permissions” section of the group settings screen.
• Only administrators with the “Ban Users” permission can set up a fee for sending messages.
• The setting is only available in supergroups. It is not available in basic groups.
• If the setting is enabled, regular group members must pay for sending each message to this group. Sending messages remains free for administrators.
• 85% of the stars paid by members go to the group, and the other 15% go to Telegram. Only the owner of the group is able to see and withdraw the balance of the group.
Sending Messages
• If the paid message sending option is enabled in a group, then users will see the corresponding text in the empty input field, and instead of the send button, they will see a button with a price and an image of a star.
• For sending each message, an ordinary group member will have to pay the number of stars specified by the group administrators.
• In groups with paid messaging, it is not possible to schedule messages, and messages scheduled before paid messaging was enabled will not be sent at the scheduled time.
• There is no fee for editing messages that have already been sent.
• Sending an album of several media will cost you the same amount as sending a single message as much as sending each media individually.
We remind you that authorization on the test server is unstable, as is the purchase of stars. Discussion of these issues in our group is prohibited.
#Android #beta
Telegram is Testing Paid Messages
Users have noticed that Telegram is testing paid messages in private and group chats.
What is known now:
• The group owner or conversation partner can enable this feature at their discretion. When paid, the majority of the stars go to the recipient of the message or the owner of the group.
• The paid messages setting will be available in private chats and groups.
• Paid message settings may differ for different types of chats.
There is no reliable information about other aspects of the future feature yet. At present, the feature is only available to some users and only on Telegram's test server.
#stars
How to Find Your Groups and Channels
Not all Telegram applications provide the user with the ability to see a list of groups and channels they have created or administer. However, there are some ways to do it.
https://tginfo.me/how-to-find-my-chats-en
#FAQ
Non-Obvious Privacy Aspects When Sending Star Reactions
In August 2024, Telegram introduced the ability for users to send star reactions to channel posts, and in February 2025 — the ability to send such reactions not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of any of their public channels.
The privacy settings for both types of reactions are not obvious. If you expect that no one will know your name, keep in mind the following:
1. When sending a paid reaction on your own behalf, the application allows you to disable the "Show me in Top Senders" option. If the user disables it, then neither their name nor their profile picture will be displayed to other channel subscribers, even if they are among the three donors who sent the most stars to the post.
However, even in this case, the owner of the channel to which the stars were sent will see the sender's name in the "Monetization" tab in the channel settings.
2. When sending a paid reaction, the application allows the user to select one of the public channels that they own. In this case, the list of the top 3 senders will not display the name of the sender, but the name of the channel that they chose.
However, the owner of the channel to which the stars were sent will see the sender's name in the "Monetization" tab in the channel settings. By comparing it with the list of top 3 senders of stars to a specific post, the channel owner can find out who exactly owns the channel on whose behalf the stars were sent.
Be careful: Telegram applications do not warn users sending star reactions about these nuances.
#reactions #stars #privacy
Telegram Desktop Has Been Updated to Version 5.11.0
What's new:
• Section for shortcuts editing: Settings › Chat settings › Keyboard Shortcuts
• Copy video links at current time.
• Set custom video covers when posting to channels.
• Send paid reactions from the name of your channels.
Download: official website or GitHub.
#update #desktop
Telegram Premium for German Users
Users who have German phone numbers now are able to purchase Telegram Premium via @PremiumBot.
These users now also can send Premium as a gift, purchase stars, view emoji statuses of other users, and use all other platform features.
Our German channel is here: @tginfoger.
#premium #Germany
Google Play Protect May Mistakenly Flag Telegram App as Dangerous
Approximately an hour ago, users began reporting that Google Play's protection mechanism is warning them about the potential danger of the Telegram app. The security system alleges that the app may steal user data and blocking its installation and updates.
It's important to note that only users who manually downloaded the app version labeled "store.apk" from the official Telegram's official channel @tandroidapk are receiving this warning. This version is specifically intended for installing the app while bypassing the Google Play Store. Users who installed the app directly from the Google Play Store are not experiencing such warnings.
The @tginfoen editorial team believes that Google's protection mechanisms are erroneously flagging the app as dangerous. We have no reason to question the safety of the file published on the official @tandroidapk channel.