Telegram’s new Stories feature that lets users share time-limited videos and photos is now live after CEO Pavel Durov shared last month that the feature was in testing.
For now, the company is only allowing its paid Premium subscribers to post Telegram Stories.
The Telegram Stories launch comes after rival messaging apps WhatsApp (with statuses) and even Signal have launched their own versions. Durov admitted there was some internal skepticism on whether Stories is a good idea but shared that the team now “can no longer imagine Telegram without it.” Snapchat popularized the Stories format before Meta swiped the idea, building them into Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. The NBA, TikTok, and, for a while, Twitter with Fleets have all tried them out, too. Telegram Stories is also following Meta’s playbook by copying BeReal’s (maybe one-hit-wonder) spin on the feature, with support for taking pictures from both the front and rear cameras simultaneously. Durov posted this video last month showing off that new ability, along with a few others.
Telegram is offering granular controls over how Stories are shared. You can choose to have them expire in timed increments of 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours or even keep the story pinned permanently until you want it removed. Plus, each story can have individual privacy settings so only desired contacts can view them.
Source: Qatar News Agency