WhatsApp rival Telegram announces new Stories feature for all users; here's how it works

Telegram, the messaging app that rivals WhatsApp, has rolled out an update to commemorate its 10th Anniversary milestone. Telegram has rolled out its Stories feature. Pavel Durov, the CEO and Founder of Telegram shared his thoughts on this new feature. He also expressed that 'The next 10 years will be the time when Telegram reaches its true potential.'

The Stories feature will be extended to all users on the platform. This feature was previously confined to premium subscribers. The Stories will be available via an expandable section atop the interface. The Stories will coexist with the user's chat list and folders. Users will have multiple options including sharing, private replies, and reactions to interact with the Stories. 

Features

Dual Camera Mode: Telegram Stories also introduces a dual camera mode, permitting users to capture moments from both the front and rear cameras concurrently.

Stickers, Locations, Captions, and More: Stories incorporate a spectrum of tools such as text, drawings, stickers, and geotags. The feature facilitates the use of multiple images from the gallery and even allows sharing of GIFs and web images via search.

Privacy: Telegram's Stories bring four privacy settings: Everyone, My Contacts, Close Friends, and Selected Contacts. As expected, each setting is customizable, allowing users to curate their audience precisely. Users can selectively prevent certain individuals from viewing their Stories, all while disabling screenshots to safeguard the content.

Stories in Profiles: Stories, adjustable within timeframes of 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours, can be showcased in a grid format on user profiles. This feature blends old connections and new acquaintances. Notably, the privacy settings remain intact, providing users control over their Stories' visibility to different audiences.

Editing and Statistics: Users can modify various elements of their Stories at any juncture, including visibility, captions, on-screen text, and stickers. Furthermore, Telegram allows users to access statistics.

When users open a Story, they're added to a list visible to the Story's creator, a feature similar to Instagram. An additional feature, Stealth Mode, enhances anonymity for Premium users, erasing their views and enhancing privacy.

Also read: WhatsApp update: Meta introduces Screen Share feature

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