Telegram further improves its stickers, adding an animated version as well. Smoother and lighter than GIFs, they can be created by anyone
In the challenge between messaging apps, Telegram always seems to be one step ahead of the more highly rated WhatsApp. Or, at least, it is when it comes to stickers. The Russian messaging platform was the first to include them among the various multimedia formats, followed closely by the various WhatsApp and Messenger with a few years delay.
With the latest update Telegram takes another step forward by introducing animated stickers. It is, in fact, a sort of cross between "fixed" stickers and GIFs, although they guarantee a higher quality and fluidity than animated images. The sticker packs are already available for download and use on the messaging platform created by developer Pavel Durov. Other packages will be added in the coming days and weeks, when the publishing platform will be opened to the contribution of third-party developers and designers.
Telegram: the new animated stickers
Thanks to the update 5.9 you can choose and send animated stickers of much higher quality than the previous ones and the negligible weight that is around 20/30 KB. The new stickers are characterized by a much more streamlined and fluid animation obtained through the use of mini-films of 60 frames per second. In addition, they can weigh up to six times less than a normal photo or animated gif: an important saving in terms of data connection and battery life as pointed out by the technicians of Telegram.
Animated stickers: a free platform
For now, Telegram has made available to its users only a small selection of its new animated stickers, which will soon be implemented by the same software house of Pavel Durov. But it is not to be excluded that new stickers will arrive as soon as possible since, for their production, a free platform open to all developers has been used. This means that designers, creatives and others will be able to come up with their own stickers and share them with the community of users of the popular online messaging application.
Where to find the new stickers
As always, the fastest way to view a sticker while typing the text of a message is to tap on an emoji to immediately bring up the corresponding animated sticker. On the other hand, to see all the new animated stickers, just click on Telegram's settings icon and tap directly on the "Stickers" entry.