Telegram Introduces Paid Photos and Videos, Collapsible Mini-Apps, and Hashtag Story Search

Authors now have new opportunities for monetizing channels and expanding their reach.

The June update of Telegram brought several important changes. In particular, mini-apps where users can play, purchase goods, receive services, etc., can now be minimized. They are grouped at the bottom of the screen.

To minimize a mini-app, simply pull the header down. To expand it, click on the bar at the bottom of the screen and select the desired app from all active ones.

The use of stars in Telegram has also continued. Previously, they were presented as a form of payment for digital goods in mini-apps. Now, channel authors can publish photos and videos that require users to transfer a certain number of stars for viewing. In the future, authors can use the stars earned for advertising their channel on the platform or for withdrawal in Toncoin.

The update also affected the logic of hashtag functionality. When clicking on a specific hashtag, Telegram displays posts containing it from all of the user's chats as well as from public channels. The same now applies to stories. This could significantly increase the reach of public channels.

Stories now feature a search by geolocation. In this case, as with hashtags, only those channels where privacy settings allow publication visibility to everyone will appear in the results.

Additionally, in stories, users with a Premium account can place links in the form of a widget with a preview of photos or videos. Instead of a link, they can also write their own text.

The update was released on June 30 and is available to all Telegram users.