Telegram is working on video stickers

An API Schema update revealed a mention on video stickers. Likely, users will be able to create stickers from regular raster videos. We can assume a video format with transparency support will be used. One of the most popular such formats is WebM. Currently all animated stickers are vector. To create your own animated stickers for Telegram, you need Adobe After Effects skills. Video stickers will make animated stickers easier to create, will allow to use camera footage or, for example, 3D animation.

Credit: @tginfo

Telegram Down: Several Users Reported Outage On Twitter, Issue Fixed

Several users reported facing issues with Telegram, the instant messaging platform. The issue began on January 17 2022 and lasted for a couple of hours. However, Telegram acknowledged the issue and fixed it soon. The outage was limited to certain regions around the world, including India. Users reported the Telegram outage on Down Detector as well. Keep reading to know more about the Telegram down the issue and when was is resolved on January 17, 2022.

According to Down Detector, users started facing issues with the instant messaging platform Telegram from 07:50 PM IST on January 17, 2022. Half an hour later, the number of reports peaked at 4,464 and then they declined by 12 AM midnight on January 18, 2022. As mentioned on the Down Detector website, about 45% of reports were about the application not functioning properly while another 36% were about server connection related problems. About 19% of users faced issues with the website as well. While these issues were reported at the Indian portal, the global Down Detector portal reports only 446 reports at the peak of the issue.

Telegram fixed Reproducible Builds on Android

Earlier we reported that few latest versions of Telegram for Android couldn't be verified to be compiled from the official source code, since Reproducible Builds were broken by developers' mistake. Version 8.4.3 fixes reproducibility: we were able to verify that installation packages for Telegram for Android from telegram.org and Google Play use the source code published in the official repository. This means the Telegram developers didn't add any hidden functionality that would be missing in source code.

source:tginfo

Telegram works on message translation through its own servers

The new API schema data on the Telegram website indicates that in future versions of the messenger, translations will be made through the Telegram servers. In the current version of the application, translation on iOS is done via Apple Translator, and on Android — by direct requests to Google Translate. The language of the message is detected on-device. According to Durov's Code , Google Translate in Telegram for Android is used in a quirky way, with a workaround to not pay the service fee, as a temporary measure, while the messenger team is working on translation through their servers.

What technology will be used is still unknown. Language detection will most likely continue to be on-device.

source: @tginfo

A Fake Telegram Installer Is Distributing Harmful Purple Fox Malware On Computers

A new way to hack computer systems has been found. According to a report published by an anti-malware platform called Minerva Labs, fake Telegram messenger applications are being circulated on the internet to distribute the Purple Fox malware. When downloaded, the malware escapes the anti-virus system installed on a computer and can execute a transfer of information without the consent or knowledge of the user.

As mentioned in the report by Minerva Labs "We have often observed threat actors using legitimate software for dropping malicious files. This time however is different. This threat actor was able to leave most parts of the attack under the radar by separating the attack into several small files, most of which had very low detection rates by AV engines, with the final stage leading to Purple Fox rootkit infection." The malicious Telegram installer is a compiled AutoIt script and is floating on the internet with the name "Telegram Desktop.exe" and hence, users are advised to beware.

Telegram Reached 1 Billion Downloads

Wire is a cloud-based instant messaging and broadcasting service provided by the not-for-profit company Telegram LLC, a limited liability company based in Dubai, founded by a Russian entrepreneur. Pavel Durov Back in 2013, when its first version was released on the eve of 15 August of the same year.

Under Zuckerberg, What particularly affected WhatsApp, the most used instant messaging system in the world to date, was a real panacea for Durov, who took advantage of Palo Alto’s troubled times to grab new users. When WhatsApp stopped working for 6 very long hours in early October, in fact, almost the whole world started communicating via Telegram, this time (except for traditional SMS) able to connect with friends The only way to be (even if, a phone call would have been useful to everyone…)

And of course Durov and his ads quickly took advantage of the situation, saying, among other things, that Telegram is the safest messaging app to take refuge in when things aren’t going well elsewhere. Whether this is the case or not, the result has been what Telegram and its team of developers have always dreamed of: reaching one billion downloads and surpassing it! And so it was. At least with respect to the Android version, which according to the data released by Google Play Store, has entered the club of Big Downloaders.

Certainly nothing to do with the results achieved by Facebook and WhatsApp over the years, but certainly the Zuckerberg-owned social media giants benefited greatly from most of their years of experience and above all given the fact That they were born a few years ago. But Telegram deserves this success and continues to be: its journey over the years has been marred by continuous improvements and updates, which have made it one of the most popular applications especially by users, who use it extensively for work purposes. Very happy with the work of Telegram developer team.

Fake Vaccination Certificates for India being sold on Telegram

Fake Covid 19 vaccination certificates and fake test results of 29 different countries, including India, are being sold on Telegram, a report by Check Point Research said on Thursday. According to the report, a fake vaccination certificate for India is available at a price of about USD75 (Rs 5,520) each. Oded Vanunu, head (products vulnerability research) at Check Point Software Technologies, said there are people who don't want to take the vaccine but still want the freedoms that come with being vaccinated such as access to places.

"These people are turning to the Darknet and Telegram. Since March 2021, prices for fake vaccination cards have dropped by half and online groups for these fraudulent corona virus services boast followings of hundreds of thousands of people.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, in India, various state governments have mandated certain regulations for those undertaking inter-state travel by road or air to mitigate the further spread of the virus. Travelers are required to have a negative Covid-19 test result (RT-PCR report) or a vaccination certificate to visit some states that see large influx of tourists.

"In March 2021, the majority of the fake corona virus certificates were advertised on the Darknet. Now, CPR sees a majority of black market activity centered around Telegram. CPR suspects the shift to Telegram has helped sellers scale their distribution efforts, reaching more consumers, faster," the report said.

"Sellers mostly accept payments through PayPal and cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Monero, Dogecoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and others). In some cases, Steam, Amazon, and eBay gift cards are accepted," the report said. It added that sellers list their method of contact as Telegram, WhatsApp, email, Wickr, and Jabber.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry Launches Account on Telegram for Fact-checking

The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Tuesday launched its account on social media platform Telegram to counter fake news. It was launched as 'PIB Fact Check', which is one of the few government entities to have a telegram channel, and aims to verify information related to the Center and disseminate to its subscribers.

"Earlier, fake channels were being run on Telegram in the name of fact check. PIB, along with telegram, got these fraudulent channels removed," said ministry sources. PIB Fact Check is the only central government fact-checking arm, which was established in November 2019.

Telegram Crosses 1 Billion Downloads Globally, With India as the Largest Market

Telegram has become the latest app to surpass the mark of one billion downloads globally, according to data shared by Sensor Tower. The Dubai-headquartered app, which was launched in late 2013, surpassed the milestone on Friday, the mobile insight firm told TechCrunch. As is the case with the app’s chief rival, WhatsApp, India is the largest market for Telegram. The world’s second-largest internet market represents approximately 22% of its lifetime installs, Sensor Tower said.

“[India is] followed by Russia and Indonesia, which represent about 10% and 8% of [all installs], respectively. The app’s installs accelerated in 2021, reaching about 214.7 million installs in the first half of 2021, up 61% year-over-year from 133 million in H1 2020,” it added.

It’s worth noting that the number of installs doesn’t equate to the app’s active userbase. Telegram had about 500 million monthly active users as of early this year, for instance. But the surge in downloads, which coincides with WhatsApp’s poor handling of relaying its privacy policies to its massive userbase, nonetheless suggests that Telegram has enjoyed some additional attention in recent quarters.

Telegram, which earlier this year raised over $1 billion, is the fifteenth app worldwide to have been downloaded 1 billion times or more, Sensor Tower told TechCrunch. Other apps on the list include WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Spotify and Netflix, according to Sensor Tower. (Mobile research firms don’t track the installs of most Google apps that come pre-installed on Android devices.)

Telegram Forward a message as copy - MacOS Beta

In Telegram for macOS Beta, users can remove the sender's name in the forwarded message. To do this, users need to click on the cross, after selecting the chat to forward a message. At the moment, it's unknown how the messages will look like after forwarding. Due to restrictions on the server, this function doesn't work. In the future, this feature will appear in other messenger clients.

Telegram has Created a Channel for Testing New Features

The Telegram team is releasing more and more features and platforms on which thousands of users can interact simultaneously, so it is important to fully test them before launch. Beta testers received a new message from a verified Telegram account today about a new channel dedicated to organizing tests that require large numbers of people. If you want to become a tester and are ready to report possible bugs,

As we continue to release more features and platforms on which thousands of users can interact at the same time, it’s essential to fully test their capabilities before release.

 
To do this, we are launching a private channel specifically to coordinate scheduled tests of upcoming features.

 
You do not have to join, but if you wish to participate in Telegram's development process by providing quality testing and feedback,

Click this link to join: https://t.me/joinchat/1GTwd3c9OjIzNTEy 

‘Nanogram Messenger’ brings the full Telegram experience to your Apple Watch

Kosta Eleftheriou, the developer behind FlickType for Apple Watch and the developer who has exposed countless App Store scams, is out with a new Apple Watch app today. Nanogram Messenger is a new app for Telegram users that aims to bring the full Telegram experience to your Apple Watch.

Some context to the launch of Nanogram Messenger is that the Apple Watch version of the official Telegram app leaves quite a bit to be desired. The app does not work independently of your iPhones, which means that even if you have a cellular-enabled Apple Watch, you can’t use Telegram on your Apple Watch without having your iPhone nearby.

Nanogram aims to fill this void with a fully native Telegram experience on the Apple Watch. The app allows you to view, send, and receive Telegram messages on your Apple Watch, whether your iPhone is nearby or not.

As far as privacy is concerned, Eleftheriou says that Nanogram communicates directly with Telegram using Telegram’s official SDK and does not collect any information.

Nanogram also integrates support for FlickType, which is a swipe keyboard that is designed for Apple Watch. This makes it easy to type out messages on the Apple Watch’s display using a gesture-based keyboard.

Nanogram is available on the App Store for Apple Watch as a free download. If you’re a Telegram user with an Apple Watch, Nanogram is a must-have application for truly iPhone-free communication while on the go.

Video Calls with up to 1000 Viewers, Video Playback Speed, Video Messages 2.0 and More

Telegram for Android and iOS 7.9 are released

Group Video Calls 2.0
• Group Video Calls now support up to 1000 video viewers, as well as unlimited audio-only listeners.
• To start a Group Video Call, create a Voice Chat from the info page of any group where you are an admin — then turn your video on.

Video Playback Speed
• Tap … in the media player to select 0.5, 1.5 or 2X playback speed while viewing a video.

Video Messages 2.0
• Enjoy higher resolution from video messages in your chats.
• Tap a video message to expand it.
• Pinch to zoom while recording a video message with the rear camera.
• Continue playing music while recording video messages.
• Tap once on the 'voice message' button to switch to video mode, then hold to record and release to send.

Timestamps
• Add timestamps like '0:45' to video captions and replies to automatically create links that play the video from that specific moment.
• If a video caption includes a timestamp, hold on it to copy a link to that moment.

Improved In-App Camera
• Switch to 0.5x or 2x zoom when taking photos or videos if this is supported by your device.
• Press and hold the zoom button to open a zoom wheel with granular controls.

Screen Sharing with Sound
• Share your screen in 1-on-1 video calls, as well as group video calls.
• Audio from your device is included while sharing your screen in any video call.
• Swipe left or right to select a video source when turning on your camera in any video call.

and More
• Tap 'Select' in the forwarding menu to choose multiple recipients.
• Swipe with two fingers in the chat list to select multiple chats.
• Enable auto-delete in your chats to remove messages after 1 month (also 1 day or 1 week).
• Easily draw small details in the media editor – the brush now gets smaller as you zoom in.
• Profile pictures in groups follow the messages as you scroll the chat.

Russia fined Telegram for $150,000

A fine is imposed according to three protocols on the non-removal of prohibited content. The decision was made by the magistrate of the judicial district No. 422. Telegram Messenger Inc. was sentenced to four, five and two million rubles.

Telegram founder listed in leaked Pegasus project data

Amid the varied cast of people whose numbers appear on a list of individuals selected by NSO Group’s client governments, one name stands out as particularly ironic. Pavel Durov, the enigmatic Russian-born tech billionaire who has built his reputation on creating an unhackable messaging app, finds his own number on the list.

Durov, 36, is the founder of Telegram, which claims to have more than half a billion users. Telegram offers end-to-end encrypted messaging and users can also set up “channels” to disseminate information quickly to followers. It has found popularity among those keen to evade the snooping eyes of governments, whether they be criminals, terrorists or protesters battling authoritarian regimes.

In recent years, Durov has publicly rubbished the security standards of competitors, particularly WhatsApp, which he has claimed is “dangerous” to use. By contrast, he has positioned Telegram as a plucky upstart determined to safeguard the privacy of its users at all costs.

Telegram is being blocked in Cuba

Protests against the Cuban government began over the weekend. They were triggered by the economic crisis, power and food supply disruptions, and a health system that protesters believe cannot cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The first demonstrations began in the city southwest of Havana, San Antonio de los Banos, then they spread to other localities, including the capital.

The entire country went offline for more than 30 minutes on Sunday, according to researchers who study internet censorship. Since then, virtual private networks, which are tools used to reroute internet traffic that can circumvent some internet censorship, and popular communication apps in Cuba have been blocked.

Source

Telegram Group Video Call & Share Your Screen

Today's update lets you turn on your camera or share your screen during Voice Chats in groups – on all devices, including tablets and desktops. This brings voice chats to a whole new level, ready for online classes, business meetings and family gatherings.

Group video calls

Voice chats in any group can now seamlessly turn into group video calls – just tap the camera icon to switch your video on. Tap on any video to make it fullscreen. If you pin a video, it will stay focused as new users join the call and turn on their cameras.

To start a voice chat, check the ⋮ menu in the profile of any group where you are an admin (on iOS, you will find a 'Voice Chat' button right in the group profile).

While audio-only participants are unlimited, video is currently available for the first 30 people who join the voice chat. This limit will increase soon as voice chats take on streaming games, live events and more.

Telegram Desktop Screen Sharing With Audio | Windows

Description link: https://www.infotelbot.com/2021/06/Telegram-Desktop-Screen-Sharing-With-Audio-Voicemeeter.html

Screen sharing

In addition to your camera feed, you can also share your screen – or both at the same time.

Noise suppression options

We've improved noise suppression in voice chats to keep everyone's audio clear and crisp, even when you're eating something crispy. We've also added a toggle to turn noise suppression off in settings – for those times when munching has meaning.

Tablet and desktop support

Tablets and computers have more screen space and offer more display options – tap to open the side panel and see a split-screen view of the video grid and list of participants, optimized for both portrait and landscape orientation.

Voice chats on desktop open in a separate window, so you can type and talk without minimizing anything. Desktop apps also have selective screen sharing so you can broadcast an individual program instead of your whole screen. When you're using a desktop app, anyone who starts sharing their screen will be pinned automatically. This is especially useful when small teams meet to coordinate their work.

Fight PlayStore Censorship - Do not install Telegram from the PlayStore

You probably already saw:

*This message can't be displayed...*

It means that Google/Apple have censored the post or the page. Telegram does not practice censorship, but their application is hosted on the Google Play Store and AppStore, so they are dependent on Google/Apple censorship policies. But there is a simple and very quick solution to bypass all this censorship permanently: 

Do not install Telegram from the PlayStore.

It's very simple:
- Uninstall your current version of Telegram
- Reinstall the official version downloaded directly on Telegram website.

Official Download Link: https://telegram.org/dl/android/apk

Official Download Page: https://telegram.org/android

Sensitive content filtration toggle in WebZ

Now you can turn off sensitive content filtration in Telegram WebZ browser app. The filter should display the channels with the "sensitive nature" on all user's devices. At the moment, the setting may be missing for some accounts. It depends on the country the SIM card is registered in, since in some regions pornographic content is prohibited by law. webz.telegram.org

Telegram is sending notifications to users when their two-step verification credentials are altered.

It seems like Telegram is improving the security of Telegram users and now it seems they've planned to send the changes made to 2SV through the Service Notifications chat, something like you see in the picture.  Hopefully when its mainstream, they may add a way to reset unauthorized turning on of two-step verification.

Telegram is stepping up it's key security change handling by informing users of important change through Service Notifications chat. 

Telegram is now widely rolling out it's security notification for users, which now includes informing users of phone number change (previously it was only two-step verification).

Now if you make any changes to your two-step verification or phone number, Telegram will notify you of the change and these messages are session specific which means that if you have two sessions, for example, on Android and Desktop. Try making any changes to 2SV, you'll be notified. But if you delete that for both sides on your Android device, the Desktop will still show it.