Telegram has released a new subscription-based service for its users, providing subscribers with extended app limits and exclusive features.
Since its launch in 2013, Telegram has come a long way. Initially, the application gained popularity because of the way it hosts public channels and groups that are accessible by almost anyone on the platform. However, in due course, Telegram has added many features absent on other instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Singal. Most recently, the app has launched a Premium subscription that offers unique features in exchange for a monthly fee.
Earlier this month, the co-founder and owner of Telegram, Pavel Durov, published a blog on the platform, talking about a subscription-based model that will support the platform and give users the additional resources and speed they want. In addition, Durov mentioned, “I believe that Telegram should be funded primarily by its users, not advertisers,” as it will help the platform deliver user-centric features.
On June 19, 2022, Telegram announced that it had crossed over 700 million monthly active users. While that number is a testament to Telegram’s popularity, it also means that Telegram is constantly upgrading its technological infrastructure to host an increasing number of users. The application claims that this growth is organic as it has never put money into paid advertising as other messaging apps do. However, this is not the big news. After months of rumors and leaks, the app has finally released Telegram Premium, a paid subscription that adds exclusive benefits and features.
Telegram Premium Offers Increased Limits, Exclusive Features
Users who subscribe to Telegram Premium can upload large media files up to 4GB, double the prevailing limit of 2GB for non-paying users. As Premium users will send and receive large media files, they will also be able to download them as fast as their internet service allows. In addition, they will enjoy increased limits for existing features on the application. For instance, Telegram Premium users can join up to 1000 groups and channels, pin up to 10 chats in their main chat list, create up to 20 public links for their account, and save a maximum of 400 GIFs. These numbers are double the limit available for non-paying Telegram users.
In addition, Telegram Premium offers voice-to-text transcription that can convert an audio message into text. The application has also launched a premium sticker collection that will be updated monthly and is exclusively available for subscribers with unique message reactions. For the first time, Telegram has launched a Chat Management feature that allows users to group chats to manage their inbox effectively. For instance, users can create several chat folders with contacts related to their work and family and enable a setting in the ‘Privacy and Security’ section that automatically archives and mutes new chats on Telegram.
Premium users will also be able to flex their membership with animated profile pictures and premium badges. Exclusively available for Premium users, animated profile pictures are short videos that run in place of the profile picture in chats and chat lists. Talking about the star-shaped premium badge, it will appear next to the name of users almost everywhere in the application — in chat lists, headers, members lists of groups and more. Last but not least, the application won’t show advertisements (in large public channels) to Telegram Premium users.
