Timmy Fess.

Timmy Fess. Telegram

All usernames on Telegram have their own t.me/username links, making it easy to share public profile, group or channel anywhere on the internet. Every username will now have a new unique link format – username.t.me – for those who want to emphasize their name (or have trouble finding the / key). In Telegram, you can adjust the color and background. If you like, you can even set up your own custom theme to make Telegram look exactly the way you like. Another security feature that adds usability is usernames. Instead of giving people your phone number, you can simply give them your username. This gives you better control over what information is out there, and how people can contact you in the future.

For maximum privacy, you can create secret chats that use end-to-end encryption. These aren't stored on Telegram's servers, so you can only access them with your specific phone. If one party deletes a message, it disappears on both devices. And you can specify a self-destruct period for all media if you like. Next up, tap Sound and then choose your custom notification sound located under the Telegram Tones section. Make sure to tap Done at the top right to finish. Interestingly, Telegram names your custom notification sound as Cloud Tone and also allows you to upload any audio as a notification sound for a chat. Lock Your Chats To lock your messages, go to “Settings”, “Privacy and Security” and tap on “Passcode Lock”. You will be asked to set a four-digit passcode and confirm it. Once you do that, you will find additional options to “unlock the app with fingerprint” and “auto-lock” it after a specific duration.

This update includes over 100 fixes and optimizations to the mobile and desktop apps – eliminating bugs, improving speed, and expanding minor features. iOS users with the latest iPhones and iPads get significantly smoother animations (120 FPS) throughout the app. Android users will notice better audio and video quality in voice and video messages, along with options to set alternative app icons, clear all recent stickers at once and translate user bios or chat descriptions. Telegram is a great all-around messenger, especially when you start using its best features and know everything it's capable of. Like many communication apps, Telegram includes chatbots. Bots add useful functions both on their own and into your chats; they can do everything from checking the weather to playing games. Chat Folders

Telegram Premium includes new tools to organize your chat list – like changing your default chat folder so the app always opens on a custom folder or, say, Unread instead of All Chats. Final Thoughts