Telegram 4.0 released with video message support, Telescope and Bot Payments

The team behind Telegram has just announced a range of new features that are now available in the latest version of the application. Telegram 4.0 has been recently released to include important new functions like video messages and Telescope.

Once you download Telegram 4.0, you'll be able to send video messages to your contacts. Simply head to any chat on Telegram and tap the mic icon to switch to camera mode. Then, tap and hold the camera icon and record your video message.

The application compresses video messages and sends them even as they are being recorded, which is why they arrive at their destination very fast.

Telescope is a new video hosting platform aimed at those who use video to communicate. The catch is that you won't need a Telegram account to watch any of the video messages hosted by Telescope.

So, whenever you post a video message to a public channel within Telegram, it will be automatically uploaded to the new video hosting platform, and it will receive a public URL, which can be accessed by anyone.

Last but not least, with Bot Payments developers can accept payments from their users regardless of their location. Telegram 4.0 allows users to order goods and services from bots that offer them. On the other hand, developers can add a Pay button to these bots so that when users tap Pay, they will be asked to fill in their credit card and shipping info.

Telegram users can even protect their sensitive credit card details with 2-step verification. That way they will be able to order much faster, as they won't need to fill in credit card info every time they purchase something. It's also worth pointing out that Bot Payments feature Apple Pay support for a more streamlined experience.