Telegram launches year-end update with special features like Reactions, Message Translation and more

Telegram Messenger introduced some special features for users before the year 2021 comes to an end. In its 12th major update this year, the app brings reactions, message translation, themed QR codes, hidden text (spoilers) as the key features. This overall enhances user chat experience on the platform along with expanding more engaging ways to interact with different audiences.

Reactions

Telegram pioneered the Animated and Interactive emojis feature on its messaging platform, providing users unparalleled ways to express themselves in chats. Now users can react to a specific message with these emojis without even sending a new message. Each reaction appears with its own unique animation.

Users can change the default reaction to another emoji in Settings. Android: Chat Settings > Quick Reaction. iOS: Stickers and Emoji > Quick Reaction.

Reactions are always on in private chats. In groups and channels, the admins decide whether to turn on reactions and choose which reaction emoji are available in the chat. Admins can control reactions via their group or channel’s Info Page > Edit > Reactions.

Message Translation

Over half a billion people around the world use Telegram not only to stay in touch with friends, but also to chat in public groups and view content from channels – in every language imaginable. Now users can translate any message into another language, right in the app. Translation feature is available on all Android devices that supports Telegram, however required iOS 15+ version on the Apple devices. The number of supported languages is equivalent to the languages available on the OS (operating System).

Enabling Translation in Settings > Language adds a dedicated Translate button to the context menu when selecting a message. You can also exclude any languages you speak fluently – which will hide the translate button for those messages.

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Spoilers

To make user chat experience interesting and fun, Telegram introduced Spoiler Messages where a user can hide a certain portion of the text with the help of ‘Spoiler’ formatting. This applies to the chat list and notifications, as well. Once the recipient tap the message, if they want to, the hidden text will be revealed.

Themed QR Codes

Now Telegram users can generate QR codes for any users that have a public username. This also works for groups, channels and bots. This makes it easy and attractive to showcase someone’s profile in a quick manner.

Users can Tap the new QR code icon next to the username of a person (or from a chat’s info page), choose the colours and pattern that fit best, then print, post or share their QR codes to other apps and platforms.

New Menus for macOS

Telegram redesigned all the context menus in Telegram for macOS – adding some new shortcut hints and introducing beautifully animated icons for every single menu item in the app.

More Interactive Emoji to end the year with

Animators at Telegram also added new interactive versions of emojis. Users can send any of them in 1-on-1 chats, then they need to tap to unleash a full-screen effect of the same.

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