Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has announced that the messaging app will add Stories in early July. Durov reveals that Stories have been a long-standing demand by users
Telegram will add Stories in early July, a feature that users have long requested. The company was initially reluctant to add Stories because they are already popular on other platforms, but decided to do so after listening to user feedback. Telegram Stories will have features similar to Instagram Stories, as well as some unique features that are only available on Telegram.
Added features of Telegram stories:
Telegram Stories will allow users to control who sees their stories and for how long. Users can choose to make their stories visible to everyone, their contacts, a few chosen contacts, or a list of close friends. Stories will appear in a collapsible section at the top of the chat list.
Users can also hide stories posted by any contact by moving them to the “Hidden” list in their Contacts section. Telegram Stories will provide users with a variety of photo and video editing tools, as well as the ability to add captions, links, and tags. Users can also post photos and videos taken by the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
Stories will disappear after a set period of time, which can be 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours. Users can also choose to permanently show their stories on their profile page, similar to Instagram Story highlights.
Telegram will also launch the ability to repost messages from channels to stories. This will help channels get more exposure and subscribers, and make it easier to go viral on Telegram.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says that Stories have been well-received in internal tests, and that even the sceptics on the Telegram team have come around to the feature. He believes that Stories will “mark a new era on Telegram” and enable the platform to become more social than it currently is.
