Telegram revamps payments, adds voice chat scheduling, more

Kyle Bradshaw | Apr 26 2021 - 11:06 am PT

Telegram, one of the hottest private messaging apps, shared an update today with new features for its Android app, including a revamped payments system, voice chat scheduling, and more.

First up, Telegram is revamping its payments system, expanding from the previous payment bots paradigm to allow payments to happen in any chat. Beyond that, payments are now possible from “any” Telegram app, not just the mobile ones.

To ensure everyone is properly protected while also allowing businesses to choose their preferred provider, Telegram supports eight different payment processors, including Stripe, Yandex.Money, and Tranzzo. Importantly, using these third-party providers ensures that Telegram “takes no commission, and stores no payment information.”

Next, Telegram is also upgrading its Clubhouse-like Voice Chats, allowing you to schedule your chat for a specific date and time, giving others a heads up of when you plan to go live. For those interested in tuning in or participating in that Voice Chat, you can see a countdown in the chat room for when the Voice Chat will go live. Otherwise, you can opt-in to receive a notification for when that chat goes live.

Meanwhile, Telegram has been hard at work on new ways to use the app, particularly on Android. For fans of the web, the company has developed two different prototypes for an updated web app — Telegram Web K and Telegram Web Z — each with support for dark mode, mobile, and more. Or, if you’d rather try out the latest above-mentioned updates in the Android app, Telegram now offers a direct APK download of the app, citing delays in getting updates approved by the Google Play Store.