Telegram updates to version 5.8 and adds the ability to contact a person even without having their phone number: here’s how it works
With the latest update of Telegram, which brings the instant messaging app to version 5.8, come new useful features that make the application even more powerful and more convenient to use, both in a business and private context. The main new features are two: the ability to add contacts without knowing the phone number and the feature to create groups based on location.
Telegram version 5.8 has already been released and is available on the App Store, Play Store and Apk Mirror. Of course, the new features are also handled with an eye on user privacy, as it is precisely the security of user data that has been Telegram’s workhorse since its inception in 2013. The iPhone version also allows you to use Siri to launch chats with specific contacts and to customize the appearance of the application, including the application icon. It’s also possible to preview themes directly from the settings.
Adding contacts to Telegram without the phone number
Telegram has always been usable from both mobile devices and the Web, which has also made it successful as a chat for remote work. However, it was still necessary to know the phone number of a contact with whom you wanted to start a chat. Now this is no longer the case and it is possible to add new contacts if the user you want to contact is simply nearby. For this to be possible you need to go to Contacts > Add people nearby and that those people have set up the app so that they can be added in this way. This feature will be super useful in case you make a new acquaintance at an event, party, or even during a business meeting.
Creating Local Communities with Telegram
The second major new feature in Telegram version 5.8 is the ability to host location-based local communities. Also in the “People nearby” section, there is also a “Groups nearby” entry. Anyone can create a group based on geographic location, and this option can be used for a variety of purposes: from quick communications with tenants in your apartment building to sharing photos, videos and messages during concerts or other entertainment events. All this could turn Telegram into a real time marketing tool: if the organizers of a concert, for example, create an official group for the participants of the event within that group everyone can post their photos but also see any messages from the organizers and, why not, the sponsors.