The current beta version for iOS includes new emojis and stickers as part of a Telegram Premium subscription that has not yet been officially announced.
Telegram appears to be currently testing a way for the popular messaging app to generate revenue from it. Beta testers for Telegram’s iOS app discovered a new set of exclusive Reaction Emoji stickers in version 8.7.2, which can only be unlocked with a premium subscription. About that reported Android Police.
Currently, users with access to Telegram’s TestFlight builds and test server can send each other emoji, such as exploding hearts, flying ghosts, and a yellow sad duck. However, even the recipients of these messages need the premium subscription to view them. If you send such a sad duck to a non-subscriber, he will apparently get a request to register for premium.
Pavel Durov announced monetization
The news doesn’t really come as a surprise. Already at the end of 2020 announced Pavel Durov, founder of social networking site VK and Telegram Messenger, announced advertising within Telegram for the following year. At the time, Durov cited the increased costs as the reason. Eventually, with its 500 million active users came increased spending on traffic and servers. To cover costs, Durov announced a plan for advertising. At the time he assured:
“Any features that are currently free will remain free. We will add some new features for enterprise teams or power users. Some of these features will require more resources and will be paid by these premium users. Ordinary users will continue to enjoy Telegram for free, forever.”
Pavel Durov
Telegram in the future with a premium subscription
Telegram users who download the app again will currently still see the tagline “Telegram will be free forever. No ads. No fees” displayed. However, this could change soon. In the most recent update, code for an upcoming version of the Messernger app that contains a different tagline has already been spotted online. Developer Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) hinted on Twitter that Messenger is changing the app’s original slogan to launch a paid version soon.
The new data shared by the developer includes the new tagline “Telegram offers free unlimited cloud storage for chats and media.” The screenshot also hints at plans to run ads. However, when the new premium service will be available is currently unknown.
Tarnkappe.info
About Antonia Frank
Antonia has been an author at the Tarnkappe since January 2016. She started out with book reviews. In the meantime, she prefers to write about legal topics, such as P2P cases, but she also takes up other Internet topics, such as cybercrime. Her interests are mainly related to literature.
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