Payments 2.0, Scheduled Voice Chats, New Web Versions

UPD 2024: Bots can now sell digital goods and services. For more details, see Telegram Stars and the updated Payments Documentation for digital and physical products.

This update brings Payments 2.0 for all Telegram chats, Scheduling and Mini Profiles for Voice Chats, new Telegram apps for your browser, and more.

Payments 2.0

We first added support for payments in 2017. Payment bots allowed users to securely pay for goods and services without leaving the app – anything from ordering a pizza to hailing a taxi, to replacing winter tires when you're tired of winter.

Starting today, merchants can natively accept credit card payments in any chat, relying on 9 integrated third-party payment providers such as Stripe.

Buyers can add a tip whenever they make a purchase to show some extra love to their favorite artists, stores, or delivery drivers. Payments can now be made from any app – including desktop apps.

This is a free and privacy-conscious platform – Telegram takes no commission, and stores no payment information. Credit card information is sent directly to the payment provider and shipping information is shared with the merchant so they can send you your goods.

We've created a demo channel with the most exotic imaginary goods and services no money can buy, so you can test how this works without spending a penny.

Any merchant can start using the Payments API without getting additional approvals from Telegram. Developers interested in integrating payments can find all the details in the Payments Manual.

Scheduled Voice Chats

Voice Chats give users the option to catch up with a few friends or tune in to massive broadcasts with millions of listeners.

Admins of groups and channels can now schedule a Voice Chat for a particular date and time instead of creating one right away. This gives community members time to let their friends know and get the popcorn ready.

Users will see a colorful countdown at the top of the chat. Those too busy to watch the countdown can opt to receive a notification when the voice chat starts.

Admins can schedule a Voice Chat from their Group or Channel's profile page. On Android, tap ⋮ > Start Voice chat > Schedule Voice Chat. On iOS, tap the Voice Chat button and select Schedule Voice Chat.

Don't worry, the chat won't start automatically when the countdown reaches zero – only when an admin presses the Start Now button.

Mini Profiles for Voice Chats

You can now expand profile pictures and bios to get a better idea of who you're chatting with – without leaving the voice chat window.

You can also change your profile picture and edit your bio without leaving the chat – like changing from Shirley to Grognak the Barbarian as you meet for Dungeons and Dragons.

New Web Versions

Telegram's first Web Version was launched in 2014. Ever since, our pet demon of internal competition kept whispering: 'Why have one web version when you can have two?'

Today we're adding two new, fully-featured Telegram web apps – both supporting animated stickers, dark mode, chat folders and more.

With the new web versions you can get instant access to your chats on any device – desktop or mobile. These apps are incredibly efficient, requiring only a 400 KB download (that's like two photos of a medium-sized cat) and no installation.

Take them for a test drive, and see which one you like best:

• Telegram Web K
• Telegram Web Z

Like other Telegram apps, all our web versions are standalone: once you've logged in, you do not need to keep your phone nearby or connected to the internet.

If you find an issue with either of the new apps, let us know using our Suggestions Platform.

Direct Download for Android

In case you're more of an app person, you can now also download Telegram for Android directly from telegram.org. Apps installed from the website will automatically update to the latest version. You are likely to get new versions several days or weeks faster this way because you won't have to wait for updates to be reviewed by the store.

Telegram supports reproducible builds, so you can always be sure that the app you have on your device was built from the exact same open source code that is published on GitHub.

Pinch to zoom

Photos and videos can now be expanded directly from the chat – simply pinch to zoom in right away, without tapping to open the media viewer.

Improved Video Player

When watching a video from the media player on iOS, press and hold the + or - 15s buttons to fast-forward and rewind. On Android press and hold on the right or left side of the screen to do the same, and double-tap to jump 10 seconds in either direction.

Tips and New Android Animations

The Android app gets smoother and more dynamic with each update – check out the new animations when opening the side menu or swiping back to the chat list from a chat.

To learn more about what Telegram can do, tap Telegram Features from the side menu or visit the @TelegramTips channel.

Telegram Jobs

That's it for today. We are already working on the next update — and if you just thought 'Wow, that's the spirit!' rather than 'Poor people, have some rest', check out our list of open positions.

April 26, 2021
The Telegram Team