Telegram has introduced a new feature called Stories, which is currently only available to Premium users. The announcement was made by the company on Twitter, stating that the feature offers more control and customization options compared to Stories on other apps. CEO Pavel Durov had previously revealed the upcoming feature, highlighting its ability to allow users to select who can see their Stories and how long they last before disappearing. Several users on Twitter have also reported seeing the new feature.
The Stories feature on Telegram is similar to the one found on Facebook’s Messenger. It appears as expandable bubbles at the top of the conversation list. Users have the option to make their Stories viewable to the public or choose from other privacy settings such as contacts only (with exceptions), selected contacts, or Close Friends. Additionally, users can add captions, links, and tag others in their Stories. They can also share photos and videos captured by the front-facing and rear cameras simultaneously, similar to the posts found on the BeReal app.
Moreover, Telegram allows users to manage their contacts and Stories settings efficiently. If users do not want to see posts from a particular contact, they can move them to the “Hidden” list in their contacts section. Additionally, users can determine the lifespan of their Stories. They can choose to have them disappear in 24 hours, similar to other platforms, but they can also set them to vanish within 6, 12, or 48 hours. Furthermore, Stories can be permanently displayed on a user’s profile page while still maintaining privacy settings for each post.
Although Stories are visible to everyone, Telegram allows users to send reactions and replies to these posts. However, only Telegram Premium subscribers can post Stories. To access this feature, users need to have the latest version of Telegram, which may not be available in all regions yet. They also need to pay a monthly fee of $4.99 for a Premium subscription. Subscribers to the Premium plan, which was introduced last year, enjoy additional benefits such as 4GB uploads, faster downloads, unique stickers, voice-to-text transcriptions, double the follow limits, and more.
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In conclusion, Telegram’s new Stories feature offers users greater control and customization options compared to other apps. Although it is currently only available to Premium subscribers, the feature allows users to determine who can see their Stories and for how long. With various privacy settings and the ability to share photos and videos from both front and rear cameras, Telegram Stories provides a unique experience for its users.
