Telegram is finally lowering the velvet rope. After keeping its Stories feature locked behind a paywall since its debut, the messaging giant is now rolling out the ability to post Stories to all users, regardless of whether they have a Premium subscription.
The move marks a significant shift in Telegram’s strategy, as the feature was previously the primary “hero” perk for its $4.99-a-month subscription tier. Now, the platform is following the lead of competitors like WhatsApp and Instagram by making ephemeral sharing a core part of the free experience.
While the update is officially live, it appears Telegram is taking a staged approach. Reports indicate that while many users, including those in previously restricted regions like Ukraine, Russia, and Iran, can now see the option to post a story, others, like yours truly, are still waiting. If you don’t see the feature on your device yet, it’s likely a server-side update that will hit your account within the coming days.
Free vs. Premium: What’s the catch?
Telegram isn’t giving away the entire farm for free. To maintain the value of its Premium tier, the company is implementing several “freemium” guardrails:
- Daily limits: Free users are currently limited to posting one Story every 24 hours. In contrast, Premium subscribers can post up to 100 Stories per day.
- Editing restrictions: While free users can use the basic camera and drawing tools, high-end features remain locked. This includes the ability to add clickable link stickers and the option to customize the expiration time of a Story (Premium users can choose between 6, 12, 24, or 48 hours).
- Priority ranking: Stories from Premium subscribers will still appear first in the feed, ensuring paying users get the most visibility.
This expansion comes at a busy time for Telegram’s Android developers. The app is currently undergoing a massive visual overhaul designed to bring “Liquid Glass” design elements previously exclusive to the iOS version over to Android. This redesign aims to make the app feel more native and fluid, with blurred transparencies and smoother transitions.
Between the visual facelift and the democratization of Stories, Telegram is clearly aiming to boost engagement among its 800 million monthly active users. By giving free users a “taste” of Stories, the platform likely hopes to entice more people into the ecosystem while keeping the most powerful tools reserved for those willing to pay.
Be sure to check for an app update in the Google Play Store to see if the feature has reached your account.
In other developments, Telegram is charging some users a one-week Premium subscription for SMS verification.
