The instant messaging platform, Telegrammay have been challenged by new features recently implemented by its main rival WhatsApp. And in response, it has come up with nine major updates to counter it.
One of the new features, which now gives Telegram an advantage over WhatsApp, is the ability to sign up for an account without a SIM card.
Before, Telegram, like WhatsApp, required a phone number to register new users on the service, with their account linked to it. However, with the new feature, the company said:
- “You can have a Telegram account without a SIM card and log in using anonymous blockchain-based numbers available on the Fragment platform.”
Other features: In addition to the ability to register without a SIM, Telegram has also implemented other features that stand out.
Automatically delete all chats: With this feature, Telegram said that it is expanding users’ control over their fingerprint in the future.
- “You can now set a global auto delete timer to automatically delete messages in all new chats. Existing chats won’t be affected, but you can easily expand your auto-delete settings to any of them from the new menu under Settings > Privacy and security > Auto-delete messages.
- “The timer will automatically apply to all your new user chats, regardless of who starts them, and to all new groups you create.” Telegram said.
Maximum privacy: Telegram said it now gives users full ownership of their entire message history through its unique combination of deleting messages for all participants without a trace and controlling existing and future chats with automatic delete timers.
- “Along with using your account without a SIM card, it offers maximum privacy,the company said.
Themes 2.0: While its previous update gave admins of large groups the option to organize discussions into topics, merging classic Internet forums with the latest in messaging technology, Telegram themes have now gotten even more powerful and are now available. Available for groups of 100 members or more.
- “Groups now have a default topic called General, which contains the group’s service messages and the history of messages prior to the topic. This topic is available to all group members so they can find older posts, but admins can rename the topic or hide it from the main list.”
Aggressive antispam: Telegram said that administrators of groups with more than 200 members can now choose to unleash the full proactive power of Telegram’s algorithms by activating the new Aggressive mode for automated spam filters.
Temporary QR Codes: Telegram users who have a public username can generate QR codes to quickly connect with the people around them.
- “You can now generate a temporary QR code if you don’t have a username and are hiding your phone number from everyone. Scanning the code will allow people to instantly add you as a contact without knowing your phone number.”
Search for emojis on iOS: Telegram iOS users can now enjoy Emoji search, which was already available on Android, using keywords in multiple languages to find the perfect emoji, including those from your custom packs.
Detailed storage for Android: Telegram has redesigned the storage usage page on Android and now shows how much space each chat is using on your device. Telegram has added 10 more custom emoji packs. However, these are available only for Telegram Premium users.
Emoji reactions are customized: Interactive emojis are a version of message reactions, in that users can simply tap to play full-screen effects that are in sync for both chat partners.