The updated Telegram now includes gifts, phone verification, improved complaints and RTMP broadcasts

Another Telegram update has been released. In the messenger, it became possible to send gifts and exchange received ones for “Stars”; business users can now verify customer phone numbers; new ways to complain about content have been added; as well as live broadcasts in RTMP format.

Image source: telegram.org

Telegram users have the opportunity to send each other gifts for “Stars” – the internal currency. The gift is an animated image to which text is added.

The received gift can be placed on your profile, where everyone can see it, or part of its value can be exchanged back for “Stars”. The sender of a gift can hide his name, and no one will see it except the recipient.

Another innovation is addressed to business users of Telegram – on the platform you can confirm customer phone numbers. It is cheaper, more convenient and faster than via SMS, and verification of one user will cost $0.01 – payment is made on the Fragment platform. Messages with confirmation codes are sent to users through a special chat in the application; You can try the Gateway API mechanism for free.

The mechanism for sending complaints about content has been improved. If a user encounters materials on the platform that, in his opinion, violate the User Agreement, he can send a complaint to the moderators. To make the system work faster and train artificial intelligence more efficiently, detailed categories have appeared in the complaints menu – for example, in the “Fraud or Spam” section, select directly “Phishing” if this is a violation. When reporting a message, you need to tap on it (Android), press and hold (iOS) or right-click on it (desktop app and web version).

In the iOS application, the video call interface has been redesigned – they now consume less resources, saving battery power. The device heats up less even with a large number of participants in a video call; and in video chat you can simultaneously broadcast images from the camera and from the phone screen. There is now support for live broadcasts in RTMP format – you can manage them using the popular programs OBS Studio or XSplit Broadcaster. Broadcasts in this format are available in all Telegram applications.