In a recent stride towards enhancing its user experience, the Telegram Stories feature has now officially been introduced to its entire user base.
The launch follows a successful trial period with Premium users and coincides with Telegram’s 10th-anniversary celebrations, marking a significant milestone for the platform’s evolution.
How different is the Telegram Stories from others?
One standout characteristic that distinguishes Telegram Stories from their counterparts on other social media platforms is the unprecedented ability to edit them post-upload. Unlike Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and TikTok where corrections require deleting and reposting, Telegram offers a groundbreaking approach. Users can now make adjustments to elements such as visibility, captions, on-screen text, stickers, and more without the hassle of re-creating the content from scratch, as detailed in a blog post by the company.
Although the innovative editing feature is a game-changer, Telegram’s Stories experience remains aligned with that of other platforms. Users can opt to share their Stories with everyone, a select group of contacts, or a custom list of close friends. The Stories section occupies a prominent spot at the top of the chat list, streamlining access. Moreover, users can easily conceal Stories from specific contacts by relocating them to a designated “Hidden” list in the Contacts section.
The temporal aspect of Stories has also received a thoughtful touch. Telegram offers customizable expiration periods ranging from six to 48 hours, allowing users to tailor the ephemeral nature of their content. A remarkable resemblance to Instagram’s Story highlights can be observed in Telegram’s option to exhibit Stories on a profile page permanently. This approach gives users greater control over the lifespan of their content.
Furthermore, Telegram Stories incorporate features that enhance engagement and interactivity. Captions and links can be seamlessly integrated, providing contextual depth to the Stories. Tagging other users, similar to conventional mentions, adds a collaborative dimension. Notably, the platform supports simultaneous photo and video uploads captured from both front and rear cameras, reminiscent of the distinctive BeReal style.
While Stories are now available to all users, Telegram continues to offer added perks to its Premium subscribers. The unique Stealth Mode feature grants users the ability to erase their story views from the past five minutes and conceal their viewing history for the subsequent 25 minutes.
Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, highlighted the significance of Stories’ introduction, acknowledging users’ longstanding demand for the feature. Despite initial reservations due to its ubiquitous presence on other platforms, Telegram ultimately heeded its user base’s preferences, emphasizing their commitment to enhancing the user experience.
A comprehensive look at Telegram Stories
Telegram Stories herald a new era of user-centric sharing, prioritizing privacy and creativity. The feature offers a range of options for users to craft personalized moments from their lives, while also furnishing them with powerful tools to engage and explore.
Viewing stories
The Stories viewing experience on Telegram mimics that of other platforms. Users’ contact stories appear at the top of the chat list, accessible through a pull-down menu. Tapping on a user’s picture opens their story, enabling seamless navigation between content.
In a similar vein, stories from other Telegram users are easily discoverable. An active story is denoted by a ring around the profile picture, visible in chat lists, profiles, and group member lists.
Navigational gestures are intuitive, allowing users to skip forward or backward by tapping the sides of the screen or swiping left and right. This brings a familiar feel to the Telegram Stories experience.
Managing stories
Telegram introduces a novel approach to hiding stories without removing contacts or blocking them. A long tap on a story preview offers the option to “Hide Stories,” storing them in an archive. To reverse this action, users can access the archive and “Unhide Stories.” Notably, the corresponding chat thread remains unaffected.
Reactions and interactions
Reacting to stories is made effortless with a heart icon, while private replies can be sent through the text field. Worth noting is that both actions contribute to the list of viewers, even if Stealth Mode is enabled. Holding down the heart icon unveils a range of reaction options, enhancing expression.
Creating stories
Story creation is simple and versatile, supporting both photos and videos from galleries or in-app cameras. The platform allows multiple images within a single story, facilitating dynamic content presentation. The media editor enables adjustments such as brightness, contrast, saturation, and the addition of stickers, GIFs, text, and location tags.
Privacy settings
Telegram Stories empower users with privacy settings tailored to their preferences. Four settings—Everyone, My Contacts, Close Friends, and Selected Contacts—determine the audience. Additionally, users can compile a list of individuals exempt from viewing their stories, thus ensuring a desired level of confidentiality.
Expiration and profile display
Stories can be set to expire within durations of 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours. Alternatively, they can be permanently showcased on a profile in a visually appealing grid format. Each story retains customizable privacy settings, ensuring optimal content sharing.
Editing stories
Telegram’s unique editing feature allows seamless modification of elements, avoiding the need for complete reposts. Users can update visibility, captions, stickers, and other aspects while retaining the original context.
Premium perks
Telegram Premium subscribers gain access to exclusive features for an enriched storytelling experience. These include priority display, Stealth Mode, permanent view history, extended caption length, and enhanced content creation capabilities. The premium remains a testament to Telegram’s commitment to innovation and user satisfaction.
Future awaits
Telegram’s foray into Stories unveils just a fraction of what’s to come. With ongoing updates and evolving functionality, users can anticipate further advancements that align with Telegram’s reputation for innovation and user-centric design.
Telegram’s Stories feature stands as a testament to the platform’s adaptability and commitment to user preferences. By combining creative expression with privacy-centric tools, Telegram offers a dynamic space for users to connect, share, and engage. As the platform continues to evolve, users can expect a cascade of enhancements that redefine the social media experience.
Meanwhile, if you ever have any issues with the platform, make sure to check out our article on how to fix it if Telegram is not working.
Featured image credit: Dima Solomin / Unsplash
