Telegram Messenger 4.5 Update Brings Albums, Saved Messages, and Better Search

Encrypted messenger app Telegram received an update today that brings additional features and enhancements to the platform, including media albums, saved messages, and an improved search function.

Starting with Telegram 4.5, whenever users send multiple photos or videos they will be grouped into albums. Each album can include up to 10 photos or videos, which are displayed in chat threads as "elegantly proportioned thumbnails", the upshot being that recipients will be notified just the once instead of ten times over.

The order in which the photos are sent can now be controlled within the app, too. Photos selected for sharing get a sequence number, so users can send "before and after" pictures in the correct order. In addition, users should find profile photos easier to navigate, thanks to thumbnails that show in the lower part of the screen.

Elsewhere, Telegram users can now bookmark important messages and media by forwarding them to a personal cloud storage area called Saved Messages. Each saved message also has a "go to" button that takes users to the place in the chat where it was originally posted. Saved Messages can be found in the Chats list and in Settings.

The developers have also improved the global search algorithm used for finding public channels, groups, and bots. It's now possible to search for public channels and bots by their titles, and most popular items will always be displayed first.

Lastly, Channel admins can now pin messages to focus their subscribers' attention on important announcements, while the settings screen and context menu has been redesigned. The app has also been tweaked for iPhone X.

Telegram is a free download for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: Telegram

Top Rated Comments

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iosiseasy

20 months ago

Still the best chat app. Just waiting for Live Photo support.

Rating: 2 Votes

palmerc2

20 months ago

Still the best chat app. Just waiting for Live Photo support.

Agreed. IMO it’s better than WhatsApp / any other chat app. Pretty cool integration with stickers, and gifs. The ability to create chat groups with up to 10k members, I think WhatsApp has a maximum of 200~ish members. The ability to create announcement channels.

Also, seamless usability between mobile and computer is stellar. I use it equally between my phone and computer. WhatsApp for desktop requires the phone to be on and have an internet connection. Everything passes through your phone, so it’s much slower. On WhatsApp when you send a message on desktop I’d imagine it goes computer > WhatsApp server > your phone > WhatsApp server > recipients phone.

Rating: 2 Votes

Vlad777

20 months ago

I’ve only mentioned WhatsApp once to summarize every single coordinated bot comment before me. That said, WhatsApp is using superior encryption to Telegram, WhatsApp servers aren’t located in a country where the gov can access private chat data without court orders or very special circumstances.

It’s up to you, the consumer, to decide whether you want to use Telegram with its weak unproven encryption, and have your data being easily available to the Russian gov for cyber crimes they have been actively involved in since 2008.

Everything you say is a PURE lie.

Telegram founder’s (Pavel Durov) Instagram has no sign that he likes Putin. Actually, A few weeks ago Durov has started a court fight against Russian government, because he refused to give a backdoor to Telegram users communication and Russian government fined Telegram. Russian government is constantly trying to push Telegram, because it has no access to users communication. Can you tell me why WhatsApp or Facebook has no problem with Russian government?

Telegrams servers are spread all over the world. London for European users, Singapore for Asian, San Francisco for American.

Rating: 1 Votes

C DM

20 months ago

The founder (Pavel Durov) is a big fan of Putin (check his instagram). Also, if the Russian gov took over VK.com, what’s holding them from taking over Telegram? Also, it’s important users are aware of Telegram’s dubious and unproven encryption techniques.
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Only stating my observation. Even best messenger apps never get 5 starts on app stores, so it’s suspicious all comments here are positive, especially considering it’s the only messenger with dubious cryptography and have its servers located in Russia.

Tons of messenger and all kinds of apps get 5 stars or all kinds of positive reviews. Out of barely a handful of posts total is it somehow so surprising that most would be from people who use the app (and thus like it) to the point that it somehow suggests some conspiracy? Seems like that's trying too hard to read too much into rather simple reality that is commonplace.

Rating: 1 Votes

C DM

20 months ago

All comments above seem coordinated in effort to promote Telegram as a better alternative to WhatsApp. Kind of like Russian trolls promote Putin and fake news on social networks. Oh wait, Telegram IS Russian. BEWARE: If you care about your own privacy, make sure to check how Telegram is using shady/unproven encryption techniques to protect your private communication. Also, the Russian government recently forced Telegram to build back door for them.

So various people who use an app (and perhaps like it) and comment about it in a story about the app somehow equates them to some sort of "Russian trolls"?

Rating: 1 Votes

Bustycat

20 months ago

You probably don't know that the founders created Telegram after being in exile because of refusing to provide information of VK, and Telegram also refuses requests from the Russian government.

Rating: 1 Votes

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