In an exciting announcement, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, revealed that the messaging app will be introducing Stories next month. This highly requested feature will allow users to share vibrant moments from their lives with their contacts.
Initially, the Telegram team was against adding Stories since they are already available on other platforms. However, Telegram prides itself on listening to its users and innovating within existing formats.
Here are some key features that will differentiate Telegram's Stories:
- Privacy: Users will have precise control over who can view their stories. Options include making them visible to everyone, only contacts (with exceptions), a selected group of contacts, or a list of Close Friends.
- Compact Interface: Stories will be housed in an expandable section at the top of the chat list, ensuring easy access without taking away valuable screen space.
- Flexibility: Users can easily hide stories posted by any contact by moving them to the "Hidden" list within the Contacts section, keeping their main screen clutter-free.
- Captions: Apart from powerful photo and video editing tools, users can add captions to provide more context or include links. Additionally, they can tag other people in their stories.
- Dual Camera Support: Building on the success of Telegram's video messaging, users can now publish photos and videos captured simultaneously using the front and rear cameras of their smartphones.
- Optional Ephemerality: Users can choose for how long their stories will be visible, ranging from 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours. Alternatively, they can opt to permanently display stories on their profile page, each with individual privacy settings.
The Internet Protocol
Durov emphasized that the ability to save stories on the profile page will make Telegram profiles more informative and colorful. Users will not only have access to more content from their close contacts but will also discover additional information about users they interact with in groups or channel comments.
Stories are currently in the final testing phase and will be available in early July. Durov believes that this addition will mark a new era for Telegram, making the messaging app even more dynamic and social.
