Telegram has led the way for instant messaging (IM) services in terms of the features it offers for free. However, it was spotted preparing for a transition to the freemium model in recent months. Now that Telegram Premium is official and pricing has been revealed, let us take a look at all the new features on offer.

Background

CEO Pavel Durov made Telegram Premium official on June 10. The IM platform recently revealed that it had accrued 700 million monthly active users. Alongside this announcement, the platform announced all the features which will be available as a part of Telegram Premium.

Although Telegram has dropped its “Free forever. No ads. No subscription fees.” tagline, none of the free-tier features have been paywalled. Telegram Premium expands the app’s capabilities for paying users.

4GB Upload Limit

Previously, Telegram allows sharing of files up to 2GB in size through its platform. The Premium subscription ups the limit to 4GB. Note that only the uploader must be a paid subscriber. Any Telegram user would be able to download the 4GB files.

Faster Downloads

With larger file uploads comes the need for faster downloads. Telegram Premium subscribers will be able to download files at the fastest speeds. This is a welcome addition given how slow Telegram downloads are at times.

Doubled Limits

Telegram Premium also doubles the limit for the platform’s core messaging features. Paying subscribers will be able to follow up to 1,000 channels, pin up to 10 chats, reserve up to 20 t.me links, and save up to 400 favorite GIFs and 10 favorite stickers. These limits are twice as much as free-tier users are allowed.

Voice to Text Transcription

Premium users will be able to transcribe voice messages into text if listening to the messages is inconvenient.

Manage Chats

Premium subscribers will be able to configure Telegram to always open a custom folder that packs only the unread chats instead of the default “All Chats” folder. Another newly added option allows subscribers to auto-archive and mute new conversations.

Other Improvements

Telegram Premium allows users to flaunt longer bios replete with links to other social media, websites, and portfolios. Profile videos of these users will also be animated inside chat windows and in conversation lists.

Premium also unlocks exclusive stickers with full-screen animations and 10 new emoji reactions. The list of available stickers will be updated on a monthly basis. Additionally, paying users to get a badge and the ability to use Premium app icons.

The biggest benefit of a Premium subscription is good riddance from pesky advertisements on public channels.

Pricing

Telegram’s pricing for the Premium subscription varies by region. Depending on where you’re located, you may need to shell out between $5 and $6 for Telegram Premium on iPhone. In comparison, WhatsApp’s (pre-Facebook acquisition) Premium plan cost just $1. That said, one could justify Telegram Premium’s higher asking price with the additional features on offer.

Improvements on iOS and macOS 

Telegram has also improved its external file sharing experience for iPhone users. you can now share large media files from other apps directly to Telegram. This means you won’t need to save the file to your phone and then upload it again to Telegram. The app also has a helpful animated progress bar. 

Secondly, Telegram for Mac gets a new animated profile picture creator. You can choose any animated emoji or sticker and build around it. The available options let you add colorful backgrounds and gradients. You can then use your creation as your own profile picture or as an icon for chats and channels. No more hunting for stock photos. 

Besides the launch of Telegram Premium, the free-tier users of the app get to enjoy subtle upgrades too. So, make sure you download Telegram from the App Store or update to version 8.8 of the app soon.