Telegram update brings topics for groups, collectible usernames and more

Last month, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said users can now buy and sell usernames on the platform via Fragment. Now, with the latest Telegram update, the developers have added several new features like voice-to-text for video messages, interactive emojis and reactions and more. Here we will take a quick look at what the latest update has to offer.
Topics in groups
Telegram group admins can now enable ‘Topics in groups’. The new feature can be enabled in communities with over 200 members and lets users create separate spaces for different subjects. The ‘Topics in groups’ function works similarly to individual chats and comes with its own media and notification settings. Also, users will be able to pin messages on the topic, vote in polls and use bots.
It is really useful for those in large groups, where conversations can be really hard to track. Group adminrators can enable the feature in the ‘Group settings’. They can also choose who is allowed to create and manage topics in ‘Permissions’.

Voice-to-text for video messages
Available exclusively for Telegram Premium subscribers, the voice-to-text for video messages feature lets users convert any video messages to text with a single button. Previously, the functionality was limited to voice messages.
The newly introduced feature is useful if you are someone who attends lots of video calls and meetings and can come in handy for those who frequently take interviews on video calls.
Redesigned night mode and text resizing
The messaging platform has redesigned the Night mode for Apple users. Those on iOS will now be able to enjoy updated dark themes with ‘more balanced colours and better blurring effects’ when scrolling chats or chat l. Android users can now change the text size in ‘Chat settings’ and increase the chat text size for link previews and reply headers amongst other things.

Collectible usernames
Telegram users can now assign multiple collectible usernames in addition to the basic username, making it easy for others to find them on the platform. Similar to normal usernames, collectible usernames will appear in the global search and even have their own links which can be used to find someone outside of the platform.
You can also sell or buy them from the newly introduced platform Fragment, which is secured Telegram’s in-house developed TON network. But unlike normal usernames, these collectible usernames can be less than five characters in length. Also, users can deactivate any of these names, which will make them invisible in global search.
Interactive emoji and reactions
The developers have added four new interactive emojis with full-screen effects in one on one chats. The messaging platform also gets 12 new emoji packs and three Halloween-themed reactions that can be used in any chat.