Telegram update adds massive new features perfect for work and school

Telegram (Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

Telegram has updated its app with chat folders for users with long chat lists.
Owners of large Telegram channels will also now get access to detailed statistics like other social media platforms.
There are also new animations present in the app as general quality-of-life improvements.

As we work from home in increasing numbers, Telegram has just delivered a large update to its messaging apps to make it more palatable for mass messaging scenarios.

Here's what's new in this week's update:

Chat Folders: Previously, Telegram allowed you to archive chats. Now, the company lets you categorize chats under folders, for instance, friends, families, work, etc. Telegram will only automatically enable chat folders for users who have enough chats that their links may become cluttered, not for those with one or two messages. Otherwise, you can enable it through this link. The company notes that folder users on Android will not have the ability to swipe to archive, but will instead have to use the bulk actions menu to action posts. If you don't have folders, swipe will work the same.
Desktop Sync: Telegram has added a new folder sidebar to the desktop which will automatically sync all folders from your connected apps so you can move seamlessly from device to device like how Telegram works in General. It'll also let you add icons for maximum folder recognisability.
Channel Stats: For channels with more than 1,000 members, Telegram has added details statistics about what posts drive the most engagement and channel growth in general.
New animations: Telegram has added new animations when making either voice or video recordings. Topically, it now animates the following emoji: 🦠, 🤒, 😷, 🤕, 🤧, 🤢, 🤮, 🧼, 💉, 💊 and 🚑.

Telegram is already a more feature-rich and powerful app than rivals WhatsApp and Messenger, and this update only serves to widen that gap. With the bulk of users on Facebook's platforms however, some may argue that the rival has the only feature that truly matters for a messaging platform. Suffice to say, these updates are rolling out to all platforms, and you can pick up Telegram for Android from the Google Play Store.