A star next to a nickname, three reactions, and no ads: these are just a small part of what the Telegram Premium subscription offers. What other features does Telegram have, and is it worth subscribing? Let's figure it out.

So, you've decided to subscribe to Telegram Premium but still have doubts about whether it's necessary for you. To dispel doubts, let's look into the benefits of a premium subscription.

What is Telegram Premium

Telegram Premium is a paid version of the messenger. A subscription fee is charged monthly for using the premium subscription.

The developers claim that the paid subscription was launched to support the development of the messenger. For a certain fee, subscribers receive additional features that are not available in the regular version. You can use Telegram without a paid subscription, but the "premium" makes the messenger more convenient and interesting.

The subscription cost is 299 rubles per month. However, it can be paid annually — which will cost 1990 rubles. Or simply be received as a gift.

New Exclusive Features in Telegram Premium 2024

Premium subscribers have quite a lot of privileges. Some additional features are just extended or enhanced capabilities that are also available in the regular version. Some are unique, available only in Telegram Premium.

Several new features became available in 2024.

Telegram for Business

Currently, "Telegram for Business" is available in the premium subscription, but in the future, it may become a separate premium subscription.

Among the features of "Telegram for Business" are the ability to specify the location and address in the profile, work schedule, and automatic greeting messages for sending to new clients. Thanks to the "Away" feature, a pre-set response will automatically be sent to messages that arrive during non-working hours. For example, "I am currently away and will respond during business hours," or any other message. You can also set up the automatic sending of message templates (media files, emojis, etc.).

Last Seen Time

Telegram Premium allows you to see the last seen time of your chat partner and the time messages were read. Meanwhile, your data will remain hidden from them.

Tag Search in "Favorites"

Everyone stores something different in the "Favorites" folder. Often there are so many forwarded files, posts, and links that you can get confused. In this case, tag search comes to the rescue. Group messages by tags, and finding the necessary one will be easy.

Restricting Incoming Messages

In a premium account, you can restrict who can send you messages. For this, in "Settings," you need to choose "Privacy" and in the "Messages" section, check that only "Contacts and Premium users" can send you messages.

Other Exclusive Features in Telegram Premium

Other exclusive features of Telegram Premium are still available. Let's look at them.

Unique Stickers

Telegram Premium subscribers have access to special sets of stickers and emojis. They can be sent to all subscribers to express emotions as fully and accurately as possible.

All exclusive stickers are grouped separately on the panel. They are located under "Recent."

Ad Removal

Although there are not many ads on Telegram, Premium users don't see them at all. Just like in the good old days!

Video Avatars

Premium account owners can use animated avatars that regular Telegram users don't have. Instead of a static photo, you can upload a video recording, edit it, and select "Set as main." All subscribers will see a video avatar instead of a regular photo.

App Icons

You can choose a new app icon that will be displayed on the smartphone screen. It can be a jet plane, a star — the icon in Telegram Premium, or a night sky.

To do this, go to "Settings," choose "Chat Settings," scroll down, and select the desired icon. In the regular version of Telegram, you can also change the icon, but the selection is much smaller ("Default," "Classic," "Ocean").

Personal Wallpapers in Chats

In a regular subscription, you can set wallpapers from the standard collection or images from your gallery. However, they will only be visible to you. In the premium subscription, you can set wallpapers from the premium image set, as well as add a picture from your gallery and choose whether the custom background will only be visible to you or to your chat partner as well.

Subscriber Badge

By default, a premium subscriber has a star icon next to their nickname, which can be replaced with any other icon.

Twice Fewer Restrictions

Premium subscribers face significantly fewer restrictions. For instance, they can subscribe to up to 1000 channels, create up to 30 folders, and add up to 200 chats to each folder, connect four accounts in the app instead of two. Also, subscription users can save up to 10 chats in the main list, write up to 140 characters in the "About" section, and much more.

Voice Message Transcription

If it's impossible to listen to a voice message, or you just don't want to, you can press the transcription button (A). Within seconds, you'll receive a text transcription of the message.

Chat Management

Creating folders and grouping chats can be done in the regular version of Telegram. However, Telegram Premium allows any folder to be set as default. Hold the name of any folder, select "Reorder" in the dropdown menu, and move the folder to the first position. Now the app will always open on this folder.

Increased Upload and Send Speed

Premium members can upload and send files faster than regular users. The speed depends solely on the quality of the internet connection.

File Upload up to 4GB

With the Telegram Premium subscription, the maximum upload file size is limited to 4GB, whereas in the regular version of Telegram, it is 2GB. Furthermore, the cloud storage space for premium subscribers is unlimited.

Message Reactions

Premium subscribers can add up to three reactions to each message. They can choose any emojis and are not limited to the standard ones.

Stories

With Telegram Premium, priority story viewing is available, in improved quality, with the ability to save the co-viewing history, view stories anonymously, and save stories to the gallery — if they are not protected from copying.

What else?

Telegram Premium subscribers can also change the color of their name and profile, translate messages on foreign Telegram channels, set emoji statuses, and send animated emojis in any chats.

Is Telegram Premium Necessary?

Whether you need a Telegram Premium subscription is for you to decide. Some might do fine without video avatars and a large set of stickers and emojis, while others may enjoy using all the additional features to the fullest.

Thanks to Telegram Premium, the profile becomes more noticeable, chats can be organized, and communication becomes even more structured. Channel decor also becomes more attractive. Cloud storage increases to unlimited, making communication with other messenger users truly boundless, as language barriers are simply erased.

The creators of Telegram added "advanced features" for active users and messenger fans, while all basic functions remain available to every user.

How to Connect Telegram Premium

Activating and paying for a premium subscription is quite simple. For instance, a special verified bot from the Telegram team has been created for this purpose. Launch it, hit "Start," read the subscription terms carefully, and if you agree with everything, press "Pay" and enter the card details.

Another way is to pay with an Apple ID account. For this, go to the messenger, select the Telegram Premium option and, after reviewing the terms, pay.

The third way is to gift a subscription or receive it as a gift. To gift a subscription, go to the official Premium Bot, choose /gift in the menu. Then select the period for which you want to gift the subscription — three months (1199 rubles), six months (1599 rubles), or a year (2790 rubles).

How to Cancel the Telegram Premium Subscription

For this, simply go into the bot and enter the command in the chat — /stop. Now automatic renewal of the subscription is disabled.

What Happens After Cancelling Telegram Premium?

The carriage won't turn into a pumpkin, but a significant part of the features will return to their previous state. Thus, all additionally pinned chats will unpin — after the fifth one. Additional folders beyond the regular limit will remain, but you won't be able to use them. The extra 70 characters in the "About" section will disappear, and favorite stickers and saved GIFs beyond the standard limit will vanish.

However, additional links like t.me/name will remain even after the subscription ends. Just like the Telegram premium icon.