The Telegram messaging app for Android is getting a big update with a bunch of new features, mainly related to reactions to messages and also pertaining to status, username links, downloads, animations, and app icons. The update is also rolling out to iOS users.

Let us have a look at all these new features.

Infinite Reactions & Redesigned Reaction Panel

The last update to Telegram brought support for uploading custom animated emojis to the app for Telegram Premium users. These custom animated emojis can be added to messages or media captions. With the latest update, the app enables Premium users to react to a message using those custom animated emojis. Every Premium user can add up to three reactions per message.

According to Telegram, users can pick reactions from an “infinite selection” of such emojis. Of course, that does not mean there is an infinite number of such emojis to choose from. Telegram seems to be using that term to emphasize that there are now many more reactions to play with. The reaction panel is also now expandable to make it easier for users to choose the reaction they want from thousands of new options.

Emoji Statuses

Telegram shows a Premium Badge next to the name of its Premium users. Starting today, Premium users can replace that badge with a custom animated emoji to let friends and family know how they’re feeling or what they’re doing. These are the same custom animated emojis that you can use to react to a message. You can also long press on an animated emoji to set it for a specific time.

New Username Links

Every user, group, and channel on Telegram has a custom link that they can use to invite people to the chat. Up until now, these links were in t.me/username format. However, starting today, Telegram is changing the format of the link to username.t.me to make it easier for people who have trouble finding the / (slash) key.

Prioritize Downloads On Android

If there are multiple items downloading in Telegram simultaneously, iOS users have an option to customize the priority of the downloads. This feature is now coming to Telegram for Android. They can now long press on a file in the “Downloading” section and reorder it to customize the priority. The file on the top of the list downloads first.

New Animations & App Icon On Android

The update brings with it new animations for opening and closing media on Android, making the app look smoother. The app icon is now also compatible with Android 13. That means it can change colors depending on the theme of your smartphone.