Telegram is getting a series of improvements today, including support for custom translations, Instant View 2.0, and a redesigned app for Android. The Android update brings it to version 5.0 and brings a number of improvements, including a revamped interface for some parts of the app.
The aesthetic changes start in user profiles, which now make it easier to access shared media with users and groups. The shared media section now also includes higher quality previews, faster loading, and more information about shared files and links. Lastly, the settings screens have been streamlined.
Other improvements include better photo cropping for profile pictures and new settings for the notification badges. You can now choose to include muted chats in the unread message indicator, in addition to a couple more settings.
Unfortunately, this update isn't as big as Telegram 5.0 for iOS, which merged the changes from the experimental Telegram X app. Telegram X for Android continues to exist, and it still looks and feels very different from the main app on Google's OS. There's no word on when and if the official version will receive the changes from the experimental one.
Moving on from Android, Telegram is getting a couple of widespread improvements too. For starters, the team is rolling out Instant View 2.0. The feature lets Telegram users access web pages in a clean and easy-to-read format - similar to the reading mode present in many browsers - right from within the app. With the latest update to the platform, Instant View now supports right-to-left languages, image links, tables, collapsible text blocks, and much more, which should make it compatible with even more websites.
Previously, Telegram had held a crowd-sourcing contest in which fans could work to add instant view support to any website of their choice, which means you can already use the feature with a wide range of sources. The team says it'll be running a new contest in light of the new improvements, so hopefully, these capabilities expand even further.
Telegram is also adding support for custom translations. The translation platform has been live for a while, allowing anyone to contribute translations for any of the available languages. But if your specific language isn't officially maintained yet, you can now create a custom translation and share it with anyone you'd like. When you create a language, a sharing link is provided so you can share it for others to use. This also creates a Telegram group chat to be used for discussing that particular language.
Lastly, the team is also rolling out update 5.1 to the iOS app, fixing over 400 minor bugs found in the big 5.0 release. To download Telegram for Android, you can visit the Play Store, while the iOS version can be found on the App Store.
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