From Auto-delete messages to expiring links: Here’s what’s new with Telegram

Telegram has launched a range of new features to improve user chat experience with better privacy and security measures, it has announced.

The new features include Auto-delete messages, Broadcast Groups and expiring links, among others.

The messenger’s Auto-delete messages feature for Telegram individual Chats, Groups and Channels allows users to set a timer of 24 hours or 7 days before sending messages. After the selected timeframe, the messages will disappear for all the users in a Group or Channel, or for the single recipient in an individual chat.

Only admins can enable the feature In Group and Channels or edit it. The messages will show a countdown to their deletion time. Android users can track the time to specific messages by tapping on the message. iOS users can press and hold the message to see the timer. To enable the timer on Android, users can tap ⋮ > Clear History then choose a duration. On iOS, they can press and hold a message, tap Select > Clear Chat (top-left) > Enable Auto-Delete.

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The messaging app has also introduced a new type of group called Broadcast Groups where the participants can connect with a live voice chat. In Broadcast Groups, only admins can send messages. However, all the participants can join the live voice chat for discussions via audio. A normal Telegram Groups allows member addition up to 2,00,000.

The platform is also making it easier to report any spam content or fake accounts in order to improve security. User can also select a specific message while reporting. Additionally, all reporting options allow users to add a comment to give more context, it said.

In a bid to improve privacy, it has introduced an Expiring links feature. “In addition to the main joining link to any Channel or Group, admins can create additional links to share with limited duration and number of uses, or both,” Telegram explained. “Along with the same, now any invite link can also be converted to scannable QR Code,” it said.

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Admins can also track from what sources are users are joining in. The platform is also adding support for Home Screen widgets on Android and iOS.

“The Chat Widget shows a preview of recent messages, while the Shortcut Widget shows only names and profile pictures. On Android, the chats and messages in the widgets will always up to date with further expansion options whereas as iOS, it will be on an occasional basis,” it said.

To add a widget, users can press and hold on their home screen, then tap Widgets on Android or the (+) on iOS and search for Telegram.

Other features introduced by the platform include sorting messages by original date available for one-on-one chats currently all newly created groups, and smaller existing groups and updated animated emojis.