Telegram Stories are now free for all users. They were initially only available to Telegram Premium subscribers, but in July 2023, they were made available to everyone.
By subscribing to Telegram Premium, users gain access to extra functionalities that are not available in the free version.
Telegram Stories are similar to stories on other platforms, such as Instagram and Snapchat. They are ephemeral posts that disappear after 24 hours. You can share photos, videos, and text in your stories, and you can add filters, stickers, and music.
If you are a Telegram Premium subscriber, you have a few additional features for Stories, such as:
- Priority Order: Your stories will be displayed first in the Stories feed.
- Stealth Mode: You can view someone’s story without them knowing.
- Permanent View History: You can see who has viewed your stories, even after they expire.
- Custom Expiration Options: You can choose for your stories to expire after 6, 12, or 48 hours.
- Save Stories to Gallery: You can save any unprotected story to your gallery.
- Better Captions: You can add longer captions to your stories, and you can also add links and custom formatting.
Overall, Telegram Stories are a great way to share ephemeral content with your contacts. They are free for all users, and they offer a number of features that are not available on other platforms.
In which countries is Telegram story not free?
Telegram’s story feature was initially launched as a Premium feature, which was available only to paid users. However, the social network officially rolled out the Stories feature to everyone on August 16, 2023 . Therefore, it is now free for all Telegram users worldwide.
Based on our observations, story publication is currently unavailable to accounts with numbers from the following countries: Russia (+7), Ukraine (+380), Indonesia (+62), Iran (+98), and India (+91).
How to post stories in countries where Telegram stories are not free
Users from countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Indonesia, Iran, and India have the option to share stories on social media platforms. They can achieve this by either purchasing a premium subscription or, if they wish to share stories for free, they can change their phone number to a virtual number associated with another country. By using this approach, they can effectively switch their location and take advantage of the ability to post stories without any associated costs.
This practice highlights the creativity of users in these countries who are finding innovative ways to work within the platform’s features and limitations. By leveraging virtual phone numbers, individuals can navigate the platform’s restrictions and contribute to the community without incurring fees, showcasing the global reach and adaptability of social media in today’s interconnected world.
However, Telegram may charge for Stories in some countries in the future, if they need to do so to comply with local laws. For example, in some countries, there are laws that require messaging apps to collect certain types of data from users, and Telegram may need to charge for Stories in order to cover the cost of complying with those laws. Users of these countries will still be able to view telegram Stories for free, but they will not be able to post their own Stories.
By subscribing to Telegram Premium, users gain access to extra functionalities that are not available in the free version.