Looks like the app is getting ready to make money from you
Telegram is a powerful messaging app, and it really needs to make money. Last year, the company took steps to monetize its platform through ad sales and additional features tailored to large group channels. But if the latest beta of its iOS app is any indication, regular users may soon be asked to pay to get more out of their experience.
During testing of version 8.7.2, the Telegram Beta channel discovered a collection of reaction emojis and stickers marked as exclusive to Telegram Premium. Users who select these stickers and reactions will be prompted to sign up for the service. Even premium stickers that appeared in conversation threads were blocked from viewing by free users and replaced with the same call-to-action.
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Details of the program itself, including pricing and other perks it offers, are not yet known.
Depending on your favorite sticker or emoji, you may be frustrated by another feature discovery: the wording of the avatar creator (via r/Telegram) on the macOS client that has appeared in the past week, which will allow users to combine simple or Pattern gradients with their favorite emoji or stickers, or even just a monogram. Equally disappointing is that there is no indication of where or when this will go.
In the future of Telegram Premium, guessing which upcoming features will be free for everyone and which will only be available to paid subscribers isn’t exactly pleasant, but at this point we’re just looking for clarity .
thanks: Nick
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