Star Messages, Pinned Gifts, Verification Platform 2.0, and More

Today’s update gives content creators and public figures more control over their privacy while offering new ways to monetize their popularity. Now you can filter incoming messages, protect your peace of mind, and earn Telegram Stars — all while staying connected with your audience.

This update also introduces an info page for new chats to prevent scams, the option to gift Premium with Stars, and Verification Platform 2.0, helping startups save on user verification — plus much more!

Stay in Control of Your Inbox with Star Messages

If you receive a high volume of messages, you can now set a fee for incoming messages from users outside your contacts. This ensures that only those who truly value your time can reach you — giving you full control over your inbox while allowing you to earn Stars for your attention.

With this feature, you can:

Filter out unwanted messages and avoid inbox overload.
Ensure that every message you receive is meaningful — strangers can only contact you if they're willing to send Stars.
Monetize your popularity while safeguarding your privacy and peace of mind.
Stay open to new conversations while protecting your account from spam and message floods.

This setting can also be applied to group chats and channel discussions to keep interactions focused and free from spam, helping group owners monetize their community and earn Stars from meaningful conversations.

Flexible Controls & Instant Refunds

Star Messages come with customizable settings — you can allow certain users or members of specific groups to message you for free. And if you ever need to make an exception after a message is sent, you can instantly refund the Stars with a single tap.

How to Enable Star Messages

• In private chats: Ensure you have Telegram Premium, then go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Messages.
• In groups: Enable 'Charge Stars for Messages' in the Permissions section.

Take control of your messages, protect your time, and turn your popularity into an opportunity — all while keeping your inbox safe and manageable!

Know Who’s Messaging You with Contact Confirmation

Now, when someone outside your contacts messages you for the first time, you’ll see a detailed info page that helps you spot scams, avoid impersonators, and verify who you're talking to — before you even reply.

This page gives you essential insights about the sender, including:

Their country (based on their phone number).
Any shared groups you have in common.
When they joined Telegram — so you can spot fresh accounts.
When they last updated their username or profile picture — a handy way to detect sudden identity changes.
Clear indicators showing whether the user is an official account, has third-party verification, or is just a regular user.

With this new feature, you’re in control of who gets your attention — no more second-guessing unknown senders or falling for impersonators. Whether you're chatting with a potential collaborator, a fan, or a new friend, you’ll have the info you need to decide whether to engage — effortlessly and with confidence.

Gift Premium with Stars

Now you can use your Telegram Stars to share Premium perks with others. Use your balance to gift Premium to friends — all without spending extra money.

Earned Stars from Star Messages? Use them to celebrate holidays or congratulate contacts with a Premium subscription: exclusive features, faster downloads, custom emoji and more — all powered by your Stars!

To send someone a Premium subscription with Stars, open their Profile and tap ⋮ / ⋯ > Send a Gift.

Withdraw Stars via Fragment

Users and groups that earn Telegram Stars through Star Messages can withdraw these Stars via Fragment, converting Stars into valuable rewards. These rewards can be instantly used to purchase Telegram Ads, collectibles on the TON blockchain and more.

For operational reasons, Stars can be withdrawn 21 days after they are earned.

Manage Group Star Balances

Group owners who receive Stars from Star Messages can now view and manage their group’s Star balance directly from the group’s profile, making it easier to track and utilize earned Stars.

Pin Gifts on Your Profile

In addition to wearing your favorite gift, you can now pin up to 6 other gifts to showcase them both on your gifts tab and on your profile cover.

You can view, sort and pin your gifts in Settings > My Profile > Gifts.

Stream to Chromecast on Android

Android users can now cast videos straight to their Chromecast devices — whether you're watching memes with friends or presenting important content in a meeting, enjoy it all on the big screen!

How to cast: Open a video, tap the Settings icon, and select Chromecast.

Save Even More on User Verification

Telegram Gateway is a cost-effective and privacy-focused solution for user authentication, allowing businesses to verify their customers’ phone numbers through Telegram at a fraction of traditional SMS costs.

Telegram’s Verification Platform was already 9x cheaper than other services, and now it’s 20% more cost-effective! Today's update lets developers set a max delivery time — if a code isn’t delivered within the window, it’s automatically refunded.

SMS verification elsewhere can cost $0.50 or more per message, while Telegram Gateway offers authentication for just $0.01.

It’s completely free to test — letting startups cut unnecessary costs and focus on building great products. Learn more in our detailed guide and start saving today!

That's all for today, we're just warming up for Telegram's spring updates.