In the world of instant messaging and social media apps, the “Stories” feature has practically become a prerequisite. They provide users with a space to share visual updates, photographs, and videos that vanish after a set period of time, creating an ephemeral digital diary.
Recently, Telegram announced the introduction of their Stories feature. But here’s the twist: only Telegram Premium users get to post their stories, while non-premium users can enjoy viewing them.
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The beauty about Telegram Stories
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, outlined the key features of this new addition last month, putting an intriguing spin on the Stories concept.
One of the major hallmarks of Telegram’s Stories is privacy. Users have complete control over who can view their stories, with choices ranging from allowing everyone to view the content, to only contacts (with the option to make exceptions), a few selected contacts, or a specially curated list of close friends.
Another noteworthy feature is the addition of captions. This enables users to provide more context, add links, or tag other people, thus making the stories more engaging and interactive.
Additionally, Telegram has introduced dual camera support, enabling users to capture and post images and videos using both the front and rear cameras of their phone simultaneously.
The concept of ephemerality has been reimagined as well, allowing users to set the expiry for their stories as per their preference. The choices range from six hours to 48 hours, or even the option for the story to be permanently displayed.
Another intriguing feature is reposting. Telegram has made it possible to repost content from channels within the stories, thereby amplifying the potential for content to go viral on the platform.
The unique approach of Telegram to the Stories feature has certainly piqued interest, but there’s more. In a refreshing change, the stories are not immediately “in your face” when you launch the app. They can be viewed at your own discretion, ensuring that users who wish to primarily use the app for messaging are not forced to engage with the Stories.
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How much is Telegram Premium subscription?
For those intrigued by Telegram’s unique spin on the Stories concept, it is important to note that this feature is currently exclusive to Premium users. For a subscription fee of $4.99 per month (with discounts available on the web), Premium users enjoy a plethora of perks. These include 4GB uploads, faster downloads, unique stickers, voice-to-text transcriptions, and an increased follow limit, amongst others.
With this exciting new feature, Telegram has indeed pushed the envelope on the Stories concept, adding fresh layers of interactivity, control, and exclusivity.
While it may be early days for the Telegram Stories feature, it certainly promises to be a game-changer in the realm of ephemeral content sharing. With its unique and user-centric approach, Telegram may very well be redefining the way we tell our digital stories.
