Emily Irish

Telegram iOS Beta Includes Premium Features Spoiler

It looks like Telegram is being serious about integrating new ways to monetize the platform. The latest iOS beta version 8.7.2 includes not just a bunch of new reactions and stickers, but also says that all these goodies will be available only to the Premium account owners. Let’s try to figure out what happens there. 

Monetising It

Of course, Telegram will remain one of the user-favorite free messaging options with excellent instantly-sharable media options, but not all these options will be free after the upcoming update. As independent testers can see in the latest iOS beta, all users who view the new stickers and reactions will be automatically suggested to purchase the Premium subscription to use these pieces of content. 

There’s currently no information about the price of the Premium tier and how soon it becomes available. Telegram beta testers also report that Premium stickers and emojis will most probably be invisible to free-tier users during conversations with Premium users. Instead, free users will see an irritating banner offering them to purchase the new glossy elite subscription and feel like a boss. On the other hand, isn't it significantly better than asking for money for those dull sticker packs on Viber and WhatsApp? It obviously is! 

Giving More

For the sake of justice, we should also note that Telegram doesn’t cut down the number of new free features. For example, one of the latest updates included new notification tones, more custom messaging settings, animated emojis, and more. What are your thoughts on the upcoming Premium subscription? Does it have any chance to succeed and spread widely amongst users? Why not discuss it in the comments below and share this news with friends on social media? Stay tuned for more quick tech news!