With new update, Telegram users can conduct live voice chat sessions

London-based messenger app service Telegram has updated its voice chat feature, which was rolled out in December 2020.  

Dubbed Voice Chats 2.0, the feature now allows users to conduct live voice chat sessions in channels for unlimited participants, a statement said. Users can also access features such as recordable voice chats, lists of participants, raise hand mechanics, invite links for speakers and listeners, and voice chat titles.  

Additionally, public figures can join voice chats through their channels, and not necessarily with their personal accounts, to maintain privacy, the statement said. 

Sessions on the app can be recorded by channel admins. This could be auto saved in their ‘saved messages’ window. 

Users can cancel forwarding messages and even replace recipients before it gets sent, and edit forwarded texts.  

Earlier only available to iOS users, Android too has been upgraded to let users choose which action is assigned to swiping left in the chat list: archiving chats, pinning, muting, deleting or marking them as read. 

This feature comes at a time when Chinese social media app Clubhouse has been gaining popularity and significant limelight across business circles, as a way to conduct modern day virtual fireside chats. 

In January, when rival WhatsApp came under the scanner for data privacy issues, Telegram had introduced a feature that allowed users to import chat history from WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps such as Line and Kakao Talk.