Telegram users always look forward to getting the almost monthly update from the messaging app. Before the stable update rolls out, we get previews about what to expect from the beta update that they release. For version 7.9.0, we’re getting improvements to the app’s video features including speed controls, better video messages, and screen sharing. You can also set up your message history cleanup on a monthly basis. Hopefully, all these features will make it to the stable update once it rolls out.
Testing Catalog shares that the beta update for Telegram brings some improvements to various video features on the app. You now have video playback controls for videos shared in your chats. You can speed up or slow down playback speed to x0.2, x0.5, x1.5, and x2 values. Just tap on the three dots menu on the video player screen to access the controls. When someone sends you a video message, you can now expand them, see the message in a floating window so you can move it around, and also pinch to zoom.
Meanwhile, you can now do screen sharing on one-on-one video calls but it doesn’t seem to be working on all beta testing accounts just yet. Ideally, it should be working if both of you are beta clients. You should be able to share your screen and then switch to the camera mode when you want to. There doesn’t seem to be any detail as to which beta testing accounts are getting this feature so it may be a server-side update.
If you want to clean up some of your one-on-one conversations every once in a while, you can now set it up that the automatic cleanup will happen after every month. Tap the Clear History button and choose one month. Previously, you could only clear up to a week’s worth of messages but now you can finally clean up a month’s history of messages. Of course this doesn’t apply to group chats but only for one-on-one conversations.
These updates are available for version 7.9.0 of Telegram beta version. No news yet when the features will make it to the stable version but that should be in the next couple of months.