Telegram 8.5 arrives with video stickers, better reactions, and new navigation options
Telegram may not have the same huge user base WhatsApp can rely on, but it’s certainly much more feature-packed than the Facebook (or Meta, if you will) app. The alternative chat application keeps getting better with every single update, and as such, Telegram 8.5 brings a whole slew of improvements, as shared in theTelegram blog. There are video stickers, better reactions, and new navigation options.
The most noteworthy addition is probably video stickers. While Telegram can boast that its proprietary stickers are among the most efficient and high-quality options out there, they require experience and special software when you want to create some yourself. To make the process more accessible, Telegram 8.5 has introduced support for converting regular videos into stickers, making it possible to create custom stickers in any video editing program. These creations can be published via the @Stickers bot, and you can read more about what you need to watch out for inTelegram’s documentation.
Message reactions werefirst introduced in Telegram 8.4, and one version later, the company is tweaking the system some more. For one, reactions now come with more compact animations, though you may still see the glorious old ones when you press and hold an emoji reaction. Reactions are now also synchronized with the recipients, meaning that they will see the animation, too, right when you hit the button. Reactions now even have a read status, as they’re often used for polls, answers, and approval, and thus it helps to know if someone saw them or not.
The update has also added five new reactions: 🥰, 🤯, 🤔, 🤬, and 👏, making it even easier to communicate with nothing but emoji. These five emoji are also available as newinteractive stickers, so when you send a single one of them to a private chat, you’re able to tap them to send a synchronized effect to your chat partner.
Telegram has additionally gained the option to jump through your navigation history, similar to how Chrome shows you your recent history on your desktop when you click and hold the back button. That’s a neat addition for those of us who navigate through channel discussions and bots.
The update is currently rolling out on the Play Store, but if you don’t see it there just yet, Telegram also offers updateson its own website. It’s also available over atAPK Mirror.
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