As every social media apps battle to take on Clubhouse, Telegram has not been left behind. Today the Messaging platform has introduced voice chats to Telegram channels and there are no more limits on the number of participants.
The update also brings recordable voice chats, rich lists of participants, raise hand mechanics, invite links for speakers and listeners, voice chat titles, and a way for public figures to join voice chats as their channels.
Limitless Voice Chats
Admins of channels and public groups can now host voice chats for millions of live listeners. No matter how popular your talk gets, new people will be able to tune in. “It’s like public radio reinvented for the 21st century.” Telegram says in a blog post.
To start a Voice Chat,
open the profile of any group or channel where you’re an admin, tap (⋮) or (⋯) and select Start Voice Chat.
Recorded Chats
While some conversations are meant to be temporary, others are worth preserving and passing on. Admins can now record audio from voice chats to save talks and publish them for followers who missed the live event.
Once you finish recording, the audio file becomes instantly available in your Saved Messages. To avoid surprises, chats that are being recorded are marked with a red light next to their title.
Raise Hand
In chats where participants are muted, listeners can tap to raise their hand and alert the admins that they want to speak. Just like calling in to a talk show – but with addictive animations.
Your bio text is now visible in the list of participants, which you can use to detail your expertise, interests, or just a little bit about yourself. This info might help admins find a good slot for your questions or comments.
Speaker and Listener Links
Admins of public groups and channels can now create invite links that open the voice chat right away. Separate links can be made for speakers and listeners. This way you won’t need to unmute important guests when they join – and they can use a different link to promote the upcoming chat to their communities.
Voice chats also have optional titles which help users see the topic of conversation before they join.
When entering a voice chat in a channel, users have the option to join with their personal account or appear as one of their channels. Celebrities and public figures can use this to avoid drawing too much attention to their personal accounts.
