Malaysian Court Restricts Two Telegram Channels

The High Court has issued a temporary injunction to restrict the distribution of specific harmful content and to prevent the republishing of similar materials, according to a press release.

The lawsuit was prompted by two Telegram channels — “Edisi Siasat” and “Edisi Khas” — whose content, according to the regulator, violates provisions of the Communications and Multimedia Act. Specifically, it is claimed that publications on these channels may “undermine public trust in national institutions” and “threaten public order”.

“Social media platform providers are responsible for the content published on them”, — noted the MCMC.

#Malaysia #courts

Collaborative To-Do Lists

The beta version of Telegram for iOS now has the ability to create to-do lists. It is likely this potentially upcoming feature will only be available to Telegram Premium subscribers. Only Premium subscribers are able to mark items as completed in existing lists.

Each list may contain up to 30 tasks and their creation is available in both personal and group chats.

When creating a list in a group, the creator of the list may choose to allow all participants to add new tasks. It is also possible to allow other users to mark and unmark tasks as “completed”, in which case the avatar of the person who completed the task will be displayed next to the check mark.

#iOS

Malfunction of Message Translation

Users report that when they try to translate messages or chats they get a dialog saying that "Translations are currently disabled".

Upd 26.06.2025 19:29 UTC
Telegram has confirmed the issue on X and stated that the feature will remain temporarily unavailable while they are making "some technical fixes".

#outages

Telegram for Android and iOS Updated to Version 11.13

Checklists for Tracking Tasks
• Collaborative management: Telegram Premium users can create checklists in any chat to organize teams or personal goals.
• Granular permissions settings: Ability to control who can mark tasks as done or add new tasks.
• Easy to create: Available in the attachment menu in chats, groups, and Saved Messages.

Suggest Posts in Channels
• User content: Subscribers to Telegram channels can submit content for publishing through an automated interface.
• Transparent process: Channel administrators can suggest edits to the text or media or change the cost of a post before it is accepted.
• Post scheduling: The ability to publish an approved post immediately or schedule it for a specific time.

Monetization for Channel Owners
• Payment options: Reward for publication in Toncoin or Telegram Stars internal currency.
• Secure payments: The channel owner receives payment 24 hours after the post is published.
• Anti-fraud protection: Automatic refunds when a post is deleted within 24 hours, enhanced payment security in Toncoin.

Article: https://telegram.org/blog/checklists-suggested-posts/

How to Update
• Android: Download from Google Play, APK from the official website, or the verified channel.
• iOS: Download from the App Store.

#update #Android #iOS

Translation Settings Disappear from Telegram for iOS

In version 11.13 of Telegram for iOS, the translation feature settings are no longer visible under "Settings › Language".

It’s likely that the settings were hidden because the translation feature has not been working since June 26.

At the same time, new lines found in the source code of Telegram apps suggest that the developers are planning to fundamentally change how translations work: apparently, users will be able to download translation models directly to their devices.

#translation #iOS

Links From Non-Contacts No Longer Work in Telegram for iOS and macOS

In the latest versions of Telegram for iOS and macOS, links received from unknown users in private chats are displayed as plain text — they are not highlighted and cannot be clicked.

This behavior appears to be an intentional security measure by Telegram to protect users from scams and malicious content.

To make a link functional again, you can:
• Add the sender to your contacts
• Dismiss the banner with action buttons at the top of the chat
• Forward the message to your “Saved Messages” — the link will become clickable there

This change has not been officially documented in Telegram’s changelogs, but it aligns with broader efforts to reduce spam and phishing attempts on the platform.

#iOS #macOS

Gift API Restrictions

The Telegram development team has implemented restrictions in the gift purchase system.

Bots may now encounter the following errors:
• 500 Internal Server Error when requesting newly available gifts.
• 400 Bad Request with the code STARGIFT_USAGE_LIMITED when attempting to purchase a gift.

Telegram likely introduced these API limitations ahead of new gift releases to prevent automated bulk purchases and ensure fair access for all users.

Userbots are also affected by these restrictions and receive the same error code STARGIFT_USAGE_LIMITED.

#gifts

Gift API Restrictions Were Not Intended

On July 4 around 23:00 UTC, the official channel BotNews made a post about the issues with gift purchases that occurred earlier.

They made it clear that it was a technical issue, and not an intentional restriction. They also mentioned that the outage occurred exactly between 18:10 and 19:35 UTC.

Telegram Desktop Updated to Version 5.16.3

What's new:
• Allow removing / charging fee in channel direct messages.
• Don't offer creating checklists in channels.
• Support author channel in gifts.

Download:
• Windows/macOS/Linux: official website or GitHub.
• Windows: Microsoft Store.
• macOS: App Store.
• Linux: Flathub or Snapcraft.

#update #desktop

Translations Are Becoming Available Again

The message translation features seem to be gradually returning.

It is worth noting that not all attempts to translate messages are successful: Some users can translate all messages, others only in specific chats, and some are not able to translate any message at all.

The translation of entire chats is still not completely working.

#translations

Ad Banners Under Videos

Telegram has launched a new advertising format for video playback.

Description:
• A text block appears at the bottom of the screen while watching a video.
• Maximum text length: 160 characters.

Display Parameters:
• Ads appear 5 seconds after the video starts.
• The ad banner can only be dismissed after 9 seconds and will close automatically after 30 seconds.
• A repeat ad may appear no sooner than 2 minutes later.

Targeting:
• Ads are shown only within videos in channels.
• Advertising purchases are available exclusively through ad agencies.

#AboutAds

Telegram User Identification via Facial Recognition

Users on Telegram’s test server have discovered an officially verified bot that scans faces using the camera — likely for identity verification purposes.

This bot’s development is presumably linked to a law that will soon take effect in the United Kingdom. The law requires websites and apps distributing adult content to verify the age of users seeking access to such material.

The @tginfo editorial team firmly believes that no identity verification requirements will be introduced for users outside the UK in the near future.

#UnitedKingdom

Nepal Blocks Telegram Due to Rising Fraud Cases

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has ordered the immediate blocking of the Telegram messenger across the country.

What’s happening:
• An official notice was promptly sent to all telecom operators.
• The ban took effect immediately following directives from the Prime Minister, Ministry of Communications, and Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The decision was made after consultations with police and financial institutions.

Official reasons:
• Sharp increase in online fraud involving Telegram.
• Confirmed cases of money laundering through the app.
• Hundreds of incidents recorded by police, ranging from fake job offers to crypto and financial scams.

#bans #Nepal

Telegram Improves Gift Sending System

In the source code of Telegram Beta version, strings have been discovered indicating several new features being developed by the messenger's team:

• Improvements for organizing gifts
Users now have access to a system for organizing gifts into collections, with the ability to add and manage them. There are also mentions of limits on sending certain gifts.

• Premium gifts
Some gifts will be available exclusively to Telegram Premium subscribers.

• Limit on gifts per user
The source code contains mentions of restrictions on the number of gifts that can be sent to a single user. Different gifts will have individual limits.

• Profile level
References to a "profile level" have been found in the code, which depends on the number of stars spent.

• Age verification
According to the discovered strings, this is a requirement of UK legislation, and Telegram emphasizes that photos used for age verification will not be stored on their servers.

• Flexible subscription options
A string has been found indicating the introduction of Premium subscriptions different from the standard monthly and annual plans, such as a 2-year option.

There were also removed strings related to local translation models.

It's important to note that currently only mentions of these features have been discovered in Telegram's code, and they haven't been officially announced yet, so the final versions of these functions may undergo some changes.

#Android #gifts #premium

Gift Collections

In the update of Telegram for Android and iOS version 11.13.3, collections for personal gifts have become available.

This feature allows users to organize their owned gifts into separate themed sets or folders.

Key details:
• Collection names can be up to 12 characters long.
• Users can create up to 9 different collections.
• A single gift can be added to multiple collections at once.
• Other users will be able to view your collections — unless a gift is hidden in your profile settings.

You can create and browse gift collections via “My Profile” > “Gifts” in the menu.

According to strings found in the app’s source code, users may eventually be able to share links to specific collections.

#Android #iOS

Scammers on the Telegram Marketplace

Currently, on Telegram’s marketplace where upgraded gifts are sold for Stars, some gifts appear at prices significantly lower than others. 
However, purchasing such a gift is impossible, as scammers quickly set a different price every second, triggering the error “Price changed. Please try again.” when attempting to purchase it.

The gift owner’s name often includes a prompt to open the description, where users are encouraged to activate a business bot with specific permissions. 
Allegedly, this helps resolve the issue of frequently changing gift prices.

In reality, this is an old scam scheme we’ve already covered on our channel. 
Once permissions are granted, the business bot steals your valuable limited-edition gifts — and recovering them becomes impossible.

#gifts #scam

Telegram Desktop Updated to Version 5.16.6

What’s new in 5.16.6:
• Paste text from clipboard without formatting using Ctrl+Shift+V.
• Fixed bug with negative unread message counter in folders.
• Resolved issues with gift collections.
• Corrected misaligned buttons.

What’s new in 5.16.5:
• Gift collections.
• User age verification (likely only for the UK).
• Various bug fixes.

Download:
• Windows/macOS/Linux: official website or GitHub.
• Windows: Microsoft Store.
• macOS: App Store.
• Linux: Flathub, Snapcraft.

#update #desktop

BotFather Is Now Available as a Mini App

Bot owners can now manage their bots through a dedicated Mini App: t.me/BotFather?startapp.

The web interface provides access to all features, including creating new bots and editing existing ones.

#bots

Telegram for Android and iOS Updated to Version 11.14

In the new version of the app, users now have access to the following features:

Profile Rating
• Telegram has started displaying a rating badge in user profiles.
• The number on this badge depends on the total volume of successful transactions using Telegram Stars.
• Your rating increases through buying gifts, sending paid messages and star reactions to posts, and paying to promote posts.
• If you get a refund for Stars or convert gifts back into Stars, your rating will decrease.
• The badge does not appear if the user has 0 points.
• The score can be negative.
• You can't hide your spending rating — it's visible to all users.

Public Post Search
• A new “Posts” tab has appeared in the search section, showing keyword search results across all public channels.
• Global public post search is available only to Telegram Premium users.
• Even for subscribers, the number of such searches is limited: you can use global search only 10 times a day.
• For an additional fee of 10 Telegram Stars, you can send one more search request.

Story Albums
• You can now group your stories into story albums within your profile.
• You can create up to 20 such albums.
• To add stories to an album, open the “Posts” tab in your profile or channel profile and tap “Add Album”.
• Before publishing a story, users can choose which albums to include it in.

Gift Collections
• Gifts on your profile or channel can now be added to collections.
• You can create up to 10 such collections. Any gift can belong to multiple collections.
• Additionally, collections support filtering options for easier viewing.
• To add gifts to a collection, go to the “Gifts” tab in your profile or channel profile, select a gift, and tap “Add to Collection”.

Other Updates:
• New types of gifts exclusive to Premium users will be introduced soon. Each user will be able to purchase only a limited quantity of these.
• You can now create and manage new or existing bots through the new @BotFather's mini app.
• Collectible gifts can now be sold for TON in Telegram’s internal marketplace.

Article: telegram.org/blog/post-search-story-albums-and-more/

Download:
• Android: Google Play, APK from the official website or the verified channel.
• iOS: App Store.

#update #Android #iOS

Mini App for Creating and Editing Stickers

The official @Stickers bot received its own web Mini App, which allows users to create and edit their sticker and emoji packs using a graphical interface.

In the past, users had to use text commands to manage their sets. In 2024 the messenger also introduced some set management capabilities directly in the official apps.

You can try the new Mini App here:
https://t.me/Stickers?startapp

#stickers