🔂 Telegram Desktop Beta 2.5.3
for #Windows #Linux #macOS

• Allow using mouse buttons in Push-to-Talk shortcut.
• Fix blurred thumbnails in Shared Links section.

2020-12-30 @Telegram #TDesktop #beta

Telegram announced upcoming contests for developers and content creators for 2021

- Contest for iOS developers to create animations for the messenger interface.
- Contest for Android developers to create messenger interfaces.
- Competition for C / C ++ developers to cluster content and determine channel topics.
- Contest for developers to process audio and video tracks in calls.

- Competition for creators of universal IQ tests in English.
- Contest for vector animation designers to create animated stickers.
- Competition to create thematic GIF-animations.

In the outgoing 2020, Telegram paid out more than $ 850,000 to the winners of competitions from the CIS, in the coming year the total prize fund will reach $ 1,000,000.

Details will be posted on the @contest channel. @ContestBot is already accepting applications for participation.

The year 2020 is coming to an end, which means that it's time to take stock
⁠
This year has brought many expected features: folders, video calls, group audio calls, and many more.
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
A week ago, we launched a survey on the worst and best innovations in Telegram this year. Let's summarize and tell you more about the innovations that delighted users this year: tginfo.me/2020-features-en

@TGBugsBot

Inline Bot to search for bugs.telegram.org issues

Use this bot in Inline Mode for searching issues in bugs.telegram.org

Note: This is an unofficial bot

ℹ️ @KeralaGramChannel

Utyagram version 7.3.1 (2206) is released

What's New:
- Utya settings are translated, Thanks to all contributors.
- Sync with official client 7.3.1 (2206) upstream code base.

Bug Fixes:
- Forward button not displayed from search screen, banned chat.

Download link:
- Universal Package from AppCenter
- From our channel : @UtyaAPK

#PlusMessenger updated.

New in version 7.2.1.2:

• Google and Yandex translators working again (https://t.me/plusmods/translationProvider).
• Added option to change group permissions separately to send gifs, games or inline bots, without relying on 'Send stickers' permission.
• Bug fixes and other improvements.

@plusmsgr

Telegram has another failure

Telegram problems began at 14:45 Moscow time. Starting at 15:30, the messenger started to recover.

Most of the reported crashes came from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia and Uzbekistan.

downdetector.com/status/telegram/

#crashes

How a group differs from a supergroup

Many users have probably forgotten that there are two types of group chats:
- Groups.
- Supergroups.

At the moment, the transformation of a group into a supergroup is seamless, and for conversion it is enough to do one of the actions described here.

Our @tginfochat was transformed into a supergroup exactly 5 years ago. Since then, more than a million messages have been written in the chat. During this time, the differences between ordinary groups and supergroups have become less, but there are still many of them.

Supergroup benefits:
- Blacklist and bans.
- Ability to give admins a custom role.
- Notifications are off by default.
- Ability to create a public link to the group.
- Number of participants up to 200,000 (the group will automatically become a supergroup when it reaches 200 participants).
- Ability to setup the visibility of history for new participants in the conversation.
- Ability to configure global rights in the group (for example, prohibiting stickers).
- Creator and administrators can delete all posts for all members of the group, other users can only delete their posts, but also for all users.

The advantages of a regular group:
- Groups are not included in the limit of 500 channels and supergroups.
- All users can edit the description, name and avatar of the group.
- Any user can delete other people's messages (only for himself).

#supergroup

What's new in Unigram 7.2:
• You can now change default download folder from Settings > Data and Storage > Storage Path.
• Improved calls stability and reliability.

copied

Why the source code of the server in Telegram is closed

Pavel Durov, answering questions about his last post, shared information about why the source code of the server is still closed.

Reasons:
- Publishing the backend code will not improve security because, unlike client code, there is no way to check whether the same code is running on the servers.
- Publishing the source code of the server part will not help either secret or cloud chats, and will be a marketing move that has nothing to do with security.
- 3 years ago, Durov learned that in one country with an authoritarian regime (Pavel did not specify the country), they were looking for ways to get the Telegram server code to launch their application, which will be used for surveillance, and then block all other social networks in the country.
- Pavel Durov did not want to give dictators the tools to enslave their population – this should not be the legacy of Telegram.

"Telegram is not ready to betray its values just because a few confused users think that publishing the server code will somehow improve the security of the messenger."

Exactly, I’m also puzzled by folks who even mention server-side code in this context. Publishing the server code doesn’t improve security, because - unlike with the client-side code - there’s no way to verify that the same code is run on the servers.

And you don’t even need the server-side code to check the integrity of Secret Chats - they are solid regardless of what’s going on on the servers (that’s the whole point). In other words, publishing server-side code won’t help verify neither Secret, nor Cloud Chats, and would constitute a marketing gimmick that has nothing to do with security.

Me: The code of Telegram apps is open. It is verifiable. No other app has verifiable builds. WhatsApp’s code is hidden and intentionally obfuscated.
Confused user: You are lying, your server code is not open! 🤬
Me: 🤯

So why not publish the server code anyway, even if it adds zero to security? 3 years ago I learnt that an authoritarian regime (you may guess which) was looking for a way to obtain Telegram’s server code. Their plan was to launch their own equally convenient local app and then to shut down all other social media in the country.

After having heard that I put our plans to publish the server code on hold. I didn’t want to provide dictators with tools to enslave their population - that shouldn’t be the legacy of Telegram. We are not ready to betray our values because a few confused users seem to think publishing server-side code will somehow improve verifiability.



https://t.me/durovschat/515221

Durov’s comment on Indian users in Telegram

India is 8% of signups and 11% of monthly users on Telegram. No other country is bigger on Telegram than India, which is logical given it is the largest free country in terms of population.

ℹ️ @KeralagramChannel

Telegram is trying to bring Group Secret Chat

@Durov: self-destructing group secret chats is something we've been working on. Support for Windows/Linux as well.

ℹ️ @KeralagramChannel

Telegram is working on a feature-rich web app

@Durov: As for iOS, we are working on a feature-rich web app which will run in Safari almost as smoothly as the native app. Still not the same thing, but would work in extreme cases.

ℹ️ @KeralagramChannel

Self-destructing group chats on Desktop

Pavel Durov promised to add self-destructing group chats to the messenger.

It is important to note that the feature will appear not only on mobile platforms and macOS, but also on Windows and Linux.

🔂 Telegram Desktop Beta 2.5.5
for #Windows #Linux #macOS

What's New in 2.5.4-2.5.5:
• Implement new audio module code for calls and voice chats.
• Allow retracting votes from polls in comments to channel posts.
• Show small voice chat button for empty voice chats.
• Fix media viewer updating when screen resolution is changed.
• Fix recording of audio in voice chats.
• Fix media viewer zoom and crashing.

2021-01-10 @Telegram #TDesktop #beta

Telegram strives for new heights

After the new rules on WhatsApp and the blocking of Trump on Twitter, the flight of users on Telegram intensified.

According to AppAnnie, as of January 9, in 43 countries, the Android version of the client is ranked first in downloads in the Communications category. And if earlier we usually showed the top on the less popular iOS, now Telegram has burst into a more massive segment - Android devices.

Basically, the messenger was in the top in Central and Latin America, post-Soviet countries, Africa and Asia.

#top Android

https://www.opindia.com/2021/01/whatsapp-vs-signal-vs-telegram-amidst-concerns-of-privacy/

Currently this article is trending on reddit which finally does not bash telegram but just lays down facts

Voice Call Recorder, Video Calls, Telegram Screen Sharing & New Super Fast Web Client

Pavel Durov gave another portion of insider information in his chat:

1. Voice call recording

Pavel Durov was asked: will the recording of voice chats, which recently appeared in Telegram, be implemented?

Command Works above this - I approved the design and architecture for this feature a week ago - Pavel answered.

2. Video calls and screen sharing

Will group video calls be in the next update?

— Yes, we are working support for video in voice chats. Hopefully finished by the next update. Voice chats will also receive screen sharing.

3. Telegram web client

— I hope that there will be a new web version in a few weeks. Ultra-fast (for a web application), minimalistic, but at the same time beautiful and feature-rich client.

No one web application can outperform native when it comes to speed, but it outperforms any other web communication tool in almost every way .

Group Video chat in works for next update! 😊

https://t.me/durovschat/553352