Popular chat app Telegram recently got a new update that introduced several interesting features. One is the ability to blur elements of an image or video when sharing it on Telegram. The feature will let people conceal sensitive details when sharing content on Telegram. You can even use it to hide away photobombers.
There’s also a new tool that lets you cover photos and videos with a shimmering layer. It’s up to the recipient to tap it and see the spoilers you might have blurred away.
Released on December 30th, the Telegram update is available on iPhone and Android.
The blur tool is an exciting addition to the chat app’s media editor. As explained above, the blur tool will let you obscure sensitive data from an image or video before sharing it with friends or strangers.
On top of that, Telegram redesigned the media editor. The drawing tools change width dynamically based on the speed of drawing.
Moreover, the app smooths out lines and features an eyedropper tool. Users can also modify text size, font, and background when adding it to photos and videos. And custom animated emojis for text on images are available to all users, even if they’re not Telegram Premium subscribers.
As for the blur effects, the app goes further than hiding sensitive information or things you want to eliminate from photos. Telegram lets senders blur images and photos with a shimmering layer to prevent spoilers (or build up curiosity). The recipient must tap that layer to see what’s behind it.
Speaking of images, this Telegram update lets you edit your contacts and set custom photos for their profiles. Only you will see that image instead of the profile picture they’ve set up in the app. But you can suggest your photo to them, and they can use it if they want.
The Telegram update also includes other privacy features on top of the blur tool. You can prevent certain people from seeing your profile photos, and you can set a public image for everyone. You now also have the option of setting the visibility of the profile image to Nobody.
Furthermore, Telegram users who manage groups of more than 100+ users can choose to hide the member list. This will avoid unwanted chats and spam.
Perhaps the most interesting new Telegram feature in the December 30th update concerns storage management.
You can set Telegram to auto-delete media from chats, and the images and photos will still be available in your Telegram cloud. But the feature just got a significant upgrade. You can now add exceptions for specific chats that Telegram should ignore when deleting cached media. This ensures you don’t lose important photos or documents you might have received from key contacts.
