Videos in voice chats

In the Beta version of Telegram for macOS, voice chats support video. You can also share the screen of the device or the windows of a separate application.

Each participant can simultaneously launch a video from the webcam and broadcast their screen.

#macOS

161 million downloads of Telegram for the last 4 months

The number of Telegram app downloads in the App Store and Google Play increased by 98% in comparison to the previous year and reached more than 161 million installations.

In January 2021, Telegram managed to reach 63.5 million installs, compared to 16.6 million a year ago. In April this year, a minor drop to 26.2 million downloads happened, compared to 27 million downloads in April last year.

The reason for Telegram's growth this year was the update of WhatsApp's privacy policy, according to which users' personal data will now be shared to be used in Facebook services.

The presented statistics includes data from January to April 2021.

#statistics

Pavel Durov criticized Apple again

The reason for the post was information about the surveillance of users and Apple censorship at the direction of the Chinese Communist Party.

Durov also reproached Apple for inflated prices for outdated equipment and for the lack of 120 Hz in iPhones, which are even found in inexpensive Android smartphones.

However, the main focus of Pavel Durov is the digital slavery of Apple users. The company does not allow installing programs on its devices, that are not from the App Store.

As a reminder, Telegram recently released a version of its Android client that can be installed outside of Google Play. This client partially lacks censorship, which is in the version from Google Play.

Group video calls are available in beta for Windows 10 users

Unigram 7.8 Beta has received video support in voice chats.

What's new:
— Demonstration of the entire screen and individual applications.
— Ability to locally pin video to full screen.
— Ability to share the image from the screen and from the webcam at the same time.

Download | Installation help

At the moment, group video calls do not work in all chats. You can test them only in @unigraminsiders and @macswift.

#unigram #beta

Unigram — the Telegram app for UWP has turned 5 years old

Telegram Info congrats the developer, wishes luck in further development and user base growth.

UWP is an app platform which is available on Windows 10. In contrast to Telegram Desktop, Unigram supports secret chats, self-destructing photos, multi-windowed mode and many more other features.

Download | Installation help

#unigram

Da Vinci Capital announced a lawsuit against Telegram in London
⁠⁠⁠⁠
«Our foundation received this offer about 24 hours before the deadline, and many of our investors simply didn't get a physical opportunity to analyze the documents and, accordingly, to receive an adequate return on the investments that were made», - said Oleg Horniko.

The investors in the Da Vinci Capital Foundation claimed damages of several tens of millions of dollars for a failed project. Then the RBC source close to Telegram reported that investors were asking for $20 million, and according to Skadden lawyers in London representing Telegram interests, such claims had little chance of success, «since the contract clearly covered both costs and risks».

The results of the second round of Android developers are announced

The task of the contest was to implement animations in Telegram for Android based on the mockups provided, optimize them to run on older devices, and create an editor that allows tweaking their parameters.

Combined, the prizes contestants won are valuing $50,000.

Detailed information about the winners, their awards and works is on the official Telegram contest channel.

#contest

Telegram is preparing a Telegram X contest

At the end of the message with Android animations contest results, the Telegram team announced a new contest: this time developers are going to work on new features for Telegram X.

According to the publication, the contest is starting this summer.

#contest

Telegram explained Privacy Tags for the iOS app in App Store

Telegram updated own FAQ to explain Apple's Privacy Labels, applied to the Telegram app in App Store.

The messenger team mostly criticizes the labels that were assigned to the app since, as they state, most of them are misleading.

When comparing the labels that were assigned by Apple, you can blame the App Store moderators for being prejudiced indeed: Apple's decisions are relying on the functionality, which is available in Telegram app, even though Apple's Messages app has the mentioned features too.

https://telegram.org/apple_privacy

Video Calls and Live Streams are in Telegram

Telegram Android Beta version 7.8.0 received video stream support for voice chats. A user can cast their screen too.

Each participant may use their web-camera and cast their screen simultaneously.

Group videocalls are also available in Beta versions of Unigram and Telegram for MacOS.

You can test group video calling in @tginfochaten. At the moment, the video calling works only in chats.

#Android #macOS

FAQ updated according to new IT Rules in India

Telegram updated its FAQ to add the designated Grievance Officer in accordance to the new IT Rules unveiled in India, applicable May 26, 2021 and onward.

According to the new rules, social media companies which have a significant user base must designate a Grievance and Nodal officer for compliance.

#faq

Russia fined Telegram for $140,000

The magistrate of the 422nd court district in Moscow fined Telegram and Facebook for $140,000 (10 million rubles) and $235,000 (17 million rubbles) accordingly.

There are multiple proceedings valuing for Telegram 2 or 3 million rubbles each. All of them are filled in according to a law which enforces social media to remove illegal content.

Earlier, the magistrate of Tagansk region in Moscow fined Telegram in two proceedings filled by Roskomnadzor, totally valuing $70,000 (5 million rubbles).

#courts #fines

Der Spiegel: Telegram can face a fine of up to 55 million euro and a lock in Germany

Der Spiegel stated that Telegram may face a fine of up to 55 million euro and be banned in Germany in future, explaining that by Telegram's ignorance of requests coming from Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior in Germany.

Sources assume the authorities are afraid of misinformation which might be spread using the Pavel Durov's messenger during the upcoming elections.

Million followers in official Telegram account in Twitter

The official Twitter account of the Telegram messenger reached 1M followers.

On this account the team of the messenger tells about new features, reminds about existing ones, helps users and makes jokes.

#statistics

Video calls for the first 30 voice chat participants.

In Telegram for Android 7.8.0 Beta, video functionality is available only for the first 30 participants of the voice chat.

It means that the 31st participant will no longer be able to see other users' videos or broadcast their own. For such participant, the chat will become just a voice chat: you will be able to speak yourself and hear other speakers.

Currently, chats are tested with this restriction, the limit will be increased in the next updates.

#Android

Updated web.telegram.org

Two new versions are available (WebK and WebZ) at web.telegram.org.

The first time you visit the website, it will randomly select and remember for you a version among K and Z, yet you can choose an alternative or old version of the web client.

Authorization is only available if there is an active session in other devices. By default the website will let you login through QR code.

#web #update

Telegram will inform users about important security changes

Telegram is working on informing users about the changes in phone number. Previously, there were only notifications about changes in two-factor authorization settings.

Now, while making any changes at 2FA settings or transferring your account to a new phone number, Telegram will notify you regarding the changes in all active sessions.

#update

Sensitive content filtration toggle in WebZ

Now you can turn off sensitive content filtration in Telegram WebZ browser app. The filter should display the channels with the "sensitive nature" on all user's devices.

At the moment, the setting may be missing for some accounts. It depends on the country the SIM card is registered in, since in some regions pornographic content is prohibited by law.

webz.telegram.org

#webz

Group Video Calls and Animated Backgrounds and more

Telegram for Android, iOS, macOS, and Unigram 7.8 are released

Group Video Calls
• Start video conferences from Voice Chats in any group.
• Share your screen or video from your camera with up to 30 participants (limit to be increased soon).
• Talk without video with an unlimited number of participants.
• Create voice chats from the profile of any group where you are an admin.
• Group video calls are supported natively on all devices, including iPads and laptops.

Animated Backgrounds
• Meet animated backgrounds for chats – first time in a messaging app! These multi-color gradient backgrounds are generated algorithmically and move beautifully every time you send a message.
• Create your own backgrounds in Appearance Settings by selecting unique combinations of colors and applying any of the dozens of patterns.
• Share your animated backgrounds with friends and family to upgrade them to a new level of messaging experience.
• Choose between dozens of new gorgeous animated backgrounds in Appearance Settings > Background.
• Backgrounds are now partially visible through the header and the footer in chats.

Message Sending Animations
• Send messages with improved animations­­ – your input text smoothly transforms into the message bubble as it flies into the chat.
• Stickers and animated emoji you send jump into the chat from the sticker panel.

Login Info Reminders
• Confirm that your phone number is up to date and that you remember your 2-Step Verification password from new prompts in Settings.
• You will now receive a notification from Telegram each time your 2-Step Verification settings are changed.

Read more here:
— https://telegram.org/blog/group-video-calls
— https://telegram.org/blog/animated-backgrounds

Android: Google Play, APK from official website or verified channel.
iOS: App Store.
macOS: from App Store or verified channel.
Unigram for Windows 10: Download | Installation help


#update #Android #iOS #macOS #unigram

Bot API was updated to version 5.3

What's new?
Personalized Commands
— Bots can now show lists of commands tailored to specific situations - including localized commands for users with different languages, as well as different commands based on chat type or for specific chats, and special lists of commands for chat admins.
— Added the class BotCommandScope, describing the scope to which bot commands apply.
— Added the parameters scope and language_code to the method setMyCommands to allow bots specify different commands for different chats and users.
— Added the parameters scope and language_code to the method getMyCommands.
— Added the method deleteMyCommands to allow deletion of the bot's commands for the given scope and user language.
— Improved visibility of bot commands in Telegram apps with the new 'Menu' button in chats with bots, read more on the blog.

Custom Placeholders:
— Added the ability to specify a custom input field placeholder in the classes ReplyKeyboardMarkup and ForceReply.

And More:
— Improved documentation of the class ChatMember by splitting it into 6 subclasses.
— Renamed the method kickChatMember to banChatMember. The old method name can still be used.
— Renamed the method getChatMembersCount to getChatMemberCount. The old method name can still be used.
— Values of the field file_unique_id in objects of the type PhotoSize and of the fields small_file_unique_id and big_file_unique_id in objects of the type ChatPhoto were changed.

Full changelog on the website.

#update #BotAPI