Telegram is one of the best messaging apps you can use right now. Not only it’s fast and offers a ton of features, but it’s also quite secure. In fact, the only reason I have not fully switch to Telegram is that most of my friends and family are on WhatsApp and its very hard to convince them to switch to a new platform. I love Telegram because it releases new features on a fairly regular basis, allowing its users to use the app in a more useful way. In this article, we are going to take a look at past Telegram updates and all the new features that were introduced with those updates. If that’s something you like, read along as we list out past Telegram updates and changelog.
Note: If you see the same changelog for multiple versions, it means that the new versions brought bug fixes and improvements to improve the implementation of the said features. It also means no new features were released during those updates.
Telegram Updates
The updates mentioned here are for the Android platform. If you are using web or iOS version of the app, you might receive these updates sooner or later than the dates mentioned here.
Telegram Update March 1, 2019
- Build Number: 5.4.0
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with Device
- Changelog:
- Autoplaying videos and automatic downloads in version 5.4: Autoplaying videos. Videos in chats start playing automatically, press the volume buttons on your device to turn sound on.
- New settings for automatic media download. Control data consumption with granular precision or quickly switch between presets (Low/Medium/High).
- Logout alternatives. The logout menu now shows alternative options to logging out
Telegram Update February 9, 2019
- Build Number: 5.3.1
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Bug fixes.
Telegram Update February 1, 2019
- Build Number: 5.3.0
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Apply blur and motion effects to chat backgrounds in Settings > Chat Settings > Chat Background.
- Set custom colors as backgrounds and apply patterns.
- Search for new backgrounds by color or topic.
- Share and set backgrounds via links that work on all platforms.
- Use backgrounds you set on one device on your other devices.
- Enjoy a selection of new backgrounds.
Telegram Update January 25, 2019
- Build Number: 5.2.1
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Bug fixes.
Telegram Update January 23, 2019
- Build Number: 5.2.0
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Global permissions for groups. Restrict all members in any group from posting certain types of content.
- Unified group settings. Make groups public, set admins with granular permissions and toggle persistent history in any group.
- Undo deleting chats and clearing chat history within 5 seconds. Detailed confirmation dialogs when deleting chats.
- New sorting options in Contacts: by name or by last seen time.
- New animations when uploading and downloading media.
Telegram Update January 11, 2019
- Build Number: 5.1.0
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Create polls in groups and channels – right from the attachment menu.
- Number of online members is shown even in very large groups.
Telegram Update December 13, 2018
- Build Number: 5.0.1
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Custom languages. Crowdsource a cloud-based language pack for Telegram using our Translations platform – then apply it in real time.
- Instant View 2.0. View web pages instantly with support for more types of content.
- New design for profiles, notifications, and sounds, and general settings. Profile pages offer quick access to shared media.
- Crisp previews, increased loading speed and more info in shared content sections.
- Swipe navigation when viewing image documents.
Telegram Update December 11, 2018
- Build Number: 5.0.0
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Support for custom languages. Crowdsource a cloud-based language pack for Telegram in any language using our Translations platform – then apply it in real time.
- Instant View 2.0. View web pages instantly with improved support for more types of content.
- New streamlined design for profiles, shared content, notifications and sounds, and general settings. Profile pages offer quick access to shared media.
- Pinned messages in small groups and Saved Messages.
Telegram Update August 30, 2018
- Build Number: 4.9.1
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- New “Exceptions” section in Notification settings that lists all your chats with custom notifications.
- Telegram Passport now supports more types of data including translated versions of documents.
- Improved password hashing algorithm to better protect Telegram Passport data.
- Export your chats using the latest version of Telegram Desktop.
Telegram Update July 19, 2018
- Build Number: 4.9.0
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Telegram Passport – a unified authorization method for services that require personal identification.
- Store your identity documents and personal data in the Telegram cloud using End-to-End Encryption.
- Instantly share your data with services that require real-world ID (finance, ICOs, etc.).
- For a real-life implementation, see www.ePayments.com/tg – the first electronic payments system to integrate Telegram Passport.
Telegram Update July 5, 2018
- Build Number: 4.8.11
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device.
- Changelog:
- Mark chats as Read or Unread from the long tap menu.
- Listen to voice and video messages in 2X mode if you’re in a hurry.
- Choose which data to send when sharing contacts, including multiple phone numbers and other vCard fields.
- Replace media when editing messages with media content.
- Cancel sending messages before they are sent.
- Use “create link” in the formatting menu to make text URLs.
- Improved UX when browsing Global Search results.
- Improved censorship circumvention.
Telegram Update June 28, 2018
- Build Number: 4.8.10
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device.
- Changelog:
- Mark chats as Read or Unread from the long tap menu.
- Listen to voice and video messages in 2X mode if you’re in a hurry.
- Choose which data to send when sharing contacts, including multiple phone numbers and other vCard fields.
- Replace media when editing messages with media content.
- Cancel sending messages before they are sent.
- Use “create link” in the formatting menu to make text URLs.
- Improved UX when browsing Global Search results.
- Improved censorship circumvention.
Telegram Update May 26, 2018
- Build Number: 4.8.9
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Updated the registration process. If you live in the UK or EU, you must be 16 years or older to use Telegram.
- When signing up for Telegram, you accept our Privacy Policy (telegram.org/privacy).
- You can now stop updating your contacts and delete your synced contacts in Privacy & Security settings.
- If you enabled link previews in Secret Chats, you can now disable them in Privacy & Security settings.
Telegram Update May 24, 2018
- Build Number: 4.8.8
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Discover new stickers. Type one emoji to see suggestions from popular sticker sets. Suggestions from the sticker sets you’ve added will come first.
- Search for Stickers. Scroll up in the sticker panel and use the new search field to quickly locate your sticker sets or discover new ones.
- Multi-shot sending. Take and send multiple photos and videos one after another.
Telegram Update May 2, 2018
- Build Number: 4.8.7
- Release Date:
- Minimum OS Requirement: Varies with device
- Changelog:
- Discover new stickers. Type one emoji to see suggestions from popular sticker sets. Suggestions from the sticker sets you’ve added will come first.
- Search for Stickers. Scroll up in the sticker panel and use the new search field to quickly locate your sticker sets or discover new ones.
- Multi-shot sending. Take and send multiple photos and videos one after another.
How to Join Telegram Beta
As you can see, Telegram releases new features on a regular basis. What I love most about these updates is that Telegram provides a comprehensive list of new features that come with the update. If you are someone who cannot wait for the updates to be released, you can get them even faster by joining the beta version of the app.
That said, Telegram doesn’t offer any beta program. One way to do it is by installing the “Telegram X” app which allows users to excess experimental features which are not available on the official Telegram app. If you use this app, you will not only get faster updates but also a more refined UI. Telegram X is made by the folks at Telegram only so you don’t have to worry about any security issues.
SEE ALSO: How to Hide Photos on Your iPhone and iPad
Keep Track of All Telegram Updates
As you can see, Telegram provides a comprehensive changelog for each and every update so that you can keep track of everything that is new with the app. This article will be updated on a monthly basis so keep coming back to see all the new features and updates so that you don’t miss them.
