New Delhi: As its rival WhatsApp continues to be embroiled in a legal controversy with the government, Telegram has seized the moment to launch some new features for its users. 

The messaging app has announced its latest update, which allows group video calls and screen sharing across all devices, tablets, and desktops. The update allows users to turn their camera on or share their screen during voice chats in groups – on all devices, including tablets and desktops, which can be used for online classes, business meetings, and family gatherings.

The Group Video Call feature is the third major voice chat update from Telegram in the last six months. The audio-only participants are unlimited, and video is currently available for the first 30 people who join the voice chat. However, this limit will increase soon as voice chats take on streaming games, live events, and more, it said in its blog post. “When you are using a desktop app, anyone who starts sharing their screen will be pinned automatically. This is especially useful when small teams meet to coordinate their work,” it added.

The app has also improved noise suppression on voice chats, for clear audio and a dedicated bot menu. There is also a new update that allows animated backgrounds, animated emojis and enables the import of customized third-party stickers as well. “These multi-colour gradient wallpapers are designed algorithmically and move with beautiful looking aesthetics every time users send a message. Telegram is offering this feature along with many default themes pre-installed,” it said in its blog post.

The app has also enhanced user security measures in its latest update. Users will now get login info reminders, which according to the company, is an essential feature that will keep a user’s phone number up to date on Telegram. "Android users will get these reminders in the next update, for now, they can simply update their phone number by tapping on it in Settings," it said.