One thing that Telegram is certainly up to speed is on updates. The messaging platform is pretty regular with additions and tweaks that seek to make things easy and interesting for its users. Telegram's latest update --- Telegram 8.2 --- is no less impressive.
The new update being rolled out includes a fresh date bar and calendar view for the shared media page, speed scrolling, more admin control and interactive emojis.
The larger idea behind the update seems to make navigation smoother and provide easier access to media library.
For instance, the new date bar on the side of the Shared Media page will allow users to jump between days and months and find videos/pictures faster.
The update also has new admin approval settings that provide (admins) more control over who can join and see the chat.
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Hyper-speed scrolling for shared media
All Telegram users have unlimited cloud storage – and each chat has a Shared Media page that shows all the photos, videos, files and music that have been sent there. Now Telegram has added a new date bar on the side of the page, which users can drag up and down to scroll through shared media faster.
"To get a better look, pinch to zoom in and out, so you can see anywhere from 2 big thumbnails to a dozen small squares per row," Telegram said in its update announcement.
Further, to quickly find media from a specific time, users can tap on the date bar to open a calendar interface with media previews for each day.
Telegram also now allows users to filter shared media by either photos or videos or both. This can be done by tapping the chat header then scrolling down and clicking on the menu icon.
Better admin control
Another emphasis on the new update is better admin control.
"Invite links let you give users the opportunity to join your group or channel on their own time – whether you share the link privately or turn it into a QR code on a billboard is up to you," Telegram said.
When users create additional invite links for their chat, there is now a Request Admin Approval setting, which gives admins more control over who is able to join and see the chat.
"When a user opens a link with Admin Approval turned on, they will see a button to send a join request that admins can manage from a new bar at the top of the chat. From there, admins can view an applicant's public profile pictures and bio, then approve or dismiss their request."
Further, admin approval can be applied to any link in the 'Additional Invite Links' section. Telegram has also added the ability to give all of those links unique names, so that users can label them for better organisation.
The list of invite links with custom names will be visible only to admins. The link names will be especially helpful if you're using all the different options that exist for invite links, such as limits on duration, number of uses, etc.
Travel time on tap
In the new update, shared locations on iOS will now display transit time. Users, when they tap a shared location on the chat, can see the travel time to get there by foot, car, or public transport.
Telegram also now allows automatic conversion of text typed in the message bar to a caption when a user attaches a media. The Cloud Drafts let users type the message on the computer, then attach the photo from the phone and send it all together.
The eight new chat themes announced by Telegram in the previous update are now available for iOS devices. The new themes feature Day and Night mode, animated background, and gradient message bubbles. Android users will get this shortly. Users will also be getting new interactive emojis with full-screen effects with the new update. Also, Settings on Telegram for iOS have been redesigned to match the style of iOS 15.
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