Telegram is marking its 13th anniversary with a substantial feature drop that transforms how community managers and developers engage with audiences. Currently rolling out as version 12.10.1, this update introduces stealth onboarding tools, interactive in-chat applications, and new monetization features. For group administrators and bot developers, these additions provide powerful new ways to automate user flows and monetize communities without cluttering public chat histories.
Welcome Messages and Community Onboarding
Groups and channels now support Welcome Messages that are exclusively visible to newly joined members. This allows owners to deliver comprehensive onboarding information without disrupting the ongoing conversation for existing members.
A welcome pack can include multiple messages, rich formatting, tables, and inline media. To configure this, administrators can navigate to their group or channel profile, select Edit, and tap Welcome Message to create the automated greeting.
Interactive Buttons and Inline Media
Developers can now embed multiple interactive buttons directly inside standard messages. This turns static text into dynamic, automated flows suitable for surveys, quizzes, horoscopes, and even e-commerce product ordering.
Because these flows support simultaneous multi-user interaction, different users can play separate games - like chess - within the same group chat. Creating these automated flows requires custom coding from developers.
Additionally, Telegram’s rich text editor now supports inline documents. By tapping the expand icon (⛶) that appears after typing three lines in the message input field, users can seamlessly attach files, music, and documents anywhere within their text.
How to Send Signed Gifts and Manage Updates
Users can now attach personalized signatures and comments to gifts purchased via the Telegram Marketplace using Telegram Stars. To send an upgraded collectible gift, follow these steps:
- Open the recipient’s profile.
- Tap the menu icon (⋮ / ⋯) and select Send a Gift.
- Select the Collectible filter.
- Choose an upgraded collectible gift.
To ensure users do not miss these features, Telegram now displays a placeholder button when an outdated app version cannot render new content. You can enable automatic updates via your system settings:
- Android: Play Store > Settings > Network Preferences > Auto-update Apps
- iOS: Settings > Apps > App Store > App Updates
The Super-App Strategy Takes Shape
The Telegram 13th anniversary update is less about basic messaging and more about cementing the platform as a decentralized super-app. By allowing developers to build interactive, multi-user applications directly into standard chat bubbles, Telegram is aggressively lowering the friction for in-app commerce and gaming.
This directly challenges platforms like WeChat and Discord by keeping users entirely within the Telegram ecosystem for both utility and entertainment. Furthermore, tying the new Signed Gifts feature to the Telegram Marketplace and Telegram Stars highlights a clear strategy: driving microtransactions and creator monetization as the platform matures into its second decade.
