Almost always above WhatsApp in terms of news, Telegram is usually always the first to release new or expand limits that the Facebook app then seeks to reach. And although, curiously, it has been incorporated late into the subject of video calls, it has just established a standard that WhatsApp will cost it a priori to reach, because it already allows group video calls in which there are up to a thousand viewers watching the content.

Let’s go over all the news for Telegram released in its latest update:

July Telegram update

Group video calls 2.0

Group video calls allow up to 30 users stream video from your camera and screen, and now 1,000 people can watch anything, from online lectures to live rap battles. According to Telegram itself “We will continue to increase this limit until all humans on Earth can join a group call and watch us sing to celebrate (coming soon)”.

To start a group video call, create a voice chat from the info page (in the ⋮ menu on Android) of any group in which you are an administrator, and then activate your video.

Videomensajes 2.0

Video messages are a quick way to share your surroundings without adding another video to your gallery. Now they have a higher resolution and you can click on a video message to enlarge it. If you touch an extended video message you will pause it and you can forward or backward the message in case you missed something.

To record a video message, tap the microphone icon in the message bar to switch from voice to video message recording. Press and hold to record, then tap the camera icon to switch back.

The audio from your device will continue to play while you record, so now you can sing your favorite songs or reply without pausing your podcast. In addition, recording with the rear camera allows you to pinch to zoom and capture things from a distance or add a dramatic effect.

Video playback speed

To be able to watch boring conference videos at higher speeds or put a tutorial video in slow motion, the media player now allows 0.5x, 1.5x and 2x speeds. And if it is the Android Telegram, even at 0.2x.

• To change the video playback speed, touch ⋮ on Android or ⋯ on iOS when you are watching a video in full screen.
• On Android, you can also press and hold the 2X button while playing a voice or video message to switch between the speeds of 0.5x, 1x, 1.5x and 2x.

Timestamp Links

Since 2019, putting a timestamp like 0:30 in comments or responses to YouTube videos and links allows users to go to that exact second, and now you can long press a timestamp in a message to copy the link and share the moment in another chat.

Share screen with sound

The screen sharing option has also been added to calls between two users, and now includes sound from your device when transmitting in any video call. When turning on the video during any call, you can swipe to choose one of the cameras or share your screen, and use the video preview to make sure everything is in order before going live.

To share your screen during a video call, tap the camera button and select your screen as the video source.

Self-elimination in 1 month

The messages in any chat can be set to clear themselves after 1 day or 1 week, and now 1 month, in case you need your chats to remain “During a complete lunar cycle” before disappearing.

To activate the timer:

• Android, touch ⋮> Empty chat, and then choose a duration
• iOS, long press on a message, tap Select> Empty chat (top left)> Activate auto-deletion.

Precision drawing

The multimedia editor allows you to decorate your photos and videos with drawings, text and stickers. To easily add fine detail (or that perfect mustache and pointy ears), the brush thickness now shrinks as you zoom, giving you the precision of a pro.

To change the thickness of your brush whenever you want, drag the point from the color picker.

The Telegram Desktop app now has its own photo editor to crop, rotate or flip images, and add drawings or stickers. And only on computers, your edited version can be sent as an uncompressed file by unchecking the Compress images box.

Lock code animations

New animations make the lock code interface even faster than before. If you are using an animated background, the lock code will also appear on the screen.

Password recovery and reminders

Teelgram has added a new notice in Settings to help you practice setting your two-step verification password.

If you forgot your password, there is a new option to reset your password that works even if you don’t have a recovery email, as long as you are still logged into your account. The process will take 7 days and can be canceled from any of your devices.

Animations when sending messages on Android

As with emojis and stickers, text messages have new animations. When you tap Send, your text transforms into the message bubble as it flies into the chat. IOS users already have these animations since the previous update.

New camera in the app on iOS

The camera in the app now uses all zoom levels on your device, including 0.5x and 2x if available. You can also press and hold to open a zoom wheel to zoom in or out with great precision.

To use the camera in the app, tap the paperclip icon in the writing field and then tap the camera in the attachment menu.

More for iOS

Choose multiple recipients to forward messages by tapping “Choose” on the forwarding menu and share your best memes with all your friends.

New animated emojis

No Telegram update is complete without animated emojis. As always, just send a message with just an emoji to get one of these in chat.