Telegram release a major update for the new year (changelog)

Privacy-focussed messaging app Telegram has released a new update for the new year.

The update brought along a number of new features, including:

Theme Editor 2.0

Using the new theme editor in Chat Settings (or Appearance Settings on iOS), you can quickly tweak the style of elements in Telegram chats and add awesome gradients to both your messages and your background. Switch between tabs (Main Color, Background, My Messages) to see how deep this rabbit hole goes:

Once you’re done editing, you can quickly share the result of your work with friends so that they can continue tuning your theme.

Telegram bundled dozens of cool patterns to make it easy to get started and also a large number of predefined color schemes for Telegram’s default themes.

Send When Online

Telegram has also added schedule messages to be sent when your recipient comes online. The option is only available if you are allowed to see your recipient’s online status.

Improved Venue Sharing

Location sharing has been updated to make finding venues easier. You can now tap a place directly on the map to select it, rather than scrolling through a list of all the available venues.

View Search Results as a List

The Search function allows you to easily jump between messages containing a keyword – or sent by a particular person, or even from a certain day. Tapping the bottom bar will now switch to list view in case you want to see all the results on one page.

On iOS, you can now also select several messages without leaving Search Mode.

Podcast and Audiobook Support

You’ve always been able to share files of up to 1,5 GB, but podcasts and audiobooks now get special treatment. Telegram apps will remember your last position when resuming playback of audio files longer than 20 minutes.

If you’d like to make podcasts get to the point a little faster, try the new 2x button (which you already know from voice messages) that eliminates voice chipmunking in 96.8% of cases.

On iOS, you can skip forward and back with high-precision scrubbing: just hold on the progress bar and slide your finger down, then left or right.

New On Android

Switch to Night Mode Faster

Telegram has shielded your eyes in dark places with Night Mode since 2017. With the Night Mode Switch at the top of the menu you can tap the moon icon switch in and out of night mode faster.

Maps now also support Night Mode, so you don’t accidentally burn yourself while browsing locations late in the evening.

On iOS, dark maps turn on and off with the system dark mode. Speaking of which, we recently added the option to sync your Telegram theme with system dark mode on iOS 13. The app now also includes Sleek New Animations.

Select Parts of Messages

Following in the footsteps of the iOS app, Android now also lets you select a portion of the message text to copy or share, instead of only the full text.

Multi-sharing from Other Apps

Telegram has made it easier than ever to share content from other apps with your friends. You can now tap and hold to select multiple recipients – and even add a comment.

Mark Archive as Read

Clear up those extra unread message counters in your archive by tapping and holding the archive folder and marking them all read.

Other Android Goodies

You can choose video quality in a more intuitive way when sending videos.

Sending contacts now uses a simple, card-style interface that won’t take up your whole screen (unless you pull up to expand it).

When you’re done listening to a voice message with your phone up to your ear, Telegram automatically records a reply – but now you can disable that by turning off Raise to Speak in your Chat Settings.

There is an additional 31 other fixes and improvements in the Android app.

New on iOS

Text Size, All the Way

You’ve been able to adjust the size of message text on Telegram from the beginning, but now you can scale the font size throughout the app.

Choose Your Browser

External browsers are now supported for opening links – you can select your preferred app in Settings > Data and Storage > Other.

Share Sheet Settings

Your most popular Telegram chats were recently added to the iOS Share Sheet. In case you‘d like to control what can (or can’t ) appear there, you can use the new toggles under Settings > Data and Storage > Other > Share Sheet.

Switch Accounts Faster

You can use Telegram with multiple accounts, switching between up to 3 phone numbers without logging out. You can now swiftly switch accounts right from your home screen on iOS 13. Simply hold down on the app icon any time you need to change costumes.

Storage Usage At a Glance

The Storage Usage page has been redesigned to more quickly find the settings you‘re looking for. It also shows your device’s storage status, and how much space all those other pesky apps are using compared to Telegram.

Cache-Clearing Shortcuts

Selecting multiple messages in a group or channel gives you the option to clear the chat’s cache.

Check out Settings > Data and Storage > Storage Usage for more options.

Member Lists: The Shorter Scrolls

Long member lists will collapse, so you can get to the ‘Leave Group’ button without scrolling.

Alternatively, swiping on a group or channel from the chat list and selecting ‘Delete’ is even quicker.

Find the latest download links at Telegram here.

Via Neowin