Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, announced today that the popular messaging app will be introducing Stories in early July. Durov acknowledged the persistent demand from users for this feature, highlighting that over half of Telegram’s feature requests are related to Stories. Initially hesitant due to the prevalence of Stories on other platforms, the company ultimately decided to heed the voice of its users and incorporate the feature.
With the upcoming addition of Stories on Telegram, users will have control over their audience. They can choose to share their Stories with everyone, their contacts, a select few, or a designated list of close friends. Stories will be conveniently located in an expandable section at the top of the chat list. Moreover, users will have the ability to conceal Stories from specific contacts by moving them to the “Hidden” list within the Contacts section, ensuring a personalized experience.
Furthermore, users will have the option to enhance their Stories with captions, links, and the ability to tag other individuals. Notably, Telegram will enable the simultaneous posting of photos and videos taken with both the front and rear cameras, similar to the popular BeReal-style format.
Additionally, users can choose the duration of their Stories before they expire. They can opt for expiration after six, 12, 24, or 48 hours. Alternatively, there is an option to permanently showcase Stories on their profile page, resembling Instagram’s Story highlights feature.
Durov expressed his excitement about the profile page enhancement, stating that it will make Telegram profiles more engaging and informative. Users will have the opportunity to explore more content from their closest contacts and gain further insights into users they interact with in groups or channel comments. Moreover, channels will benefit from increased exposure and subscriber count once Telegram introduces the ability to repost messages from channels to Stories, making it easier for content to go viral on the platform.
Following internal testing, even skeptics within the Telegram team came to appreciate the value of Stories. Durov now believes that the feature is an integral part of the messaging service and foresees it ushering in a new era of social connectivity on Telegram.
The Stories feature is currently in its final testing phase and will be available to users in early July. Durov is confident that this addition will elevate Telegram’s social experience, allowing the platform to foster greater social interactions among its user base.