Telegram gets support for video calling and screen sharing in groups

Telegram has gained support for video calling with more than two participants. The makers of the messenger service also report that screen sharing is also possible in groups. That applies to phones, but also tablets and the desktop app.

Demo videos of the features in the blog post

In addition, Telegram.org reports that it is possible to pin a single video feed, so that it remains at the top for all incoming participants of the group conversation. Presumably this option is only for the ‘admin’ of a group video call. The screen sharing can also be combined with the camera feed, allowing one to present and giving the whole a set of features that are partly intended for professional applications.

Telegram further reports that the background noise cancellation has been improved and that it can now also be turned off, in case that sound is desired. In addition, desktops and tablets will also have additional options in terms of video group call layout to utilize their extra screen space.

In a separate blog post, Telegram says that it has also added a few things on an aesthetic level. Backgrounds can now be animated and chats have more animations regarding the chat bubbles.

As one of the latest new features, Telegram reports that bots in the app can now have a menu, where the possible commands are easy to select. Also, the placeholder in the text input box can be changed to give the user a suggestion.

Telegram has experienced strong growth since the announcement of WhatsApp’s new terms of use. The app would now have 500 million users. It has also raised $1 billion from investors for further growth. The app can use encryption just like competitors, but this must be enabled per chat.