Telegram allows users to edit sent messages

Users of the Telegram chat app can now edit messages that have already been sent. When they do, it will be indicated within the chatlog. The feature also works in groups and in the desktop apps.

The Telegram developers are dedicating a blog post to the changes. In addition to the edit capabilities, the team is introducing new mentions capabilities; members of a group can now also be addressed with a mention without having created a username at Telegram, something that was previously a requirement.

Supporting post-editing is one of the ways Telegram is trying to differentiate itself from its biggest competitor, WhatsApp. Another way Telegram has done this in the past is through support for animated .gif images. The app has been doing this since 2014. In February, it was revealed that Telegram has more than 100 million users, but WhatsApp has about a billion users. Telegram is available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows, OS X and more platforms.

An example of the new function in practice (Image: Telegram)