News

Telegram Introduces Support For Group Video Calls & Many Other Features

The biggest limitation at the moment is the fact that group video calls are limited to the first 30 people who join a voice chat.

Published

5 years ago

June 29, 2021

Joanna Melki

telegram introduces support for group video calls and many other features

Telegram users have a good reason to celebrate because their favorite instant messaging software now supports group video calls.

To use the new feature, you need to first start a voice chat by tapping or clicking the hamburger menu in the profile of any group where you are an admin and selecting the Start Voice Chat option. From there, simply tap the camera icon to switch your video on.

“Tap on any video to make it full screen,” explains Telegram on its blog. “If you pin a video, it will stay focused as new users join the call and turn on their cameras.”

The Telegram app lets you seamlessly share your screen with others, and you don’t even have to turn off your camera feed. The screen sharing option can be accessed by clicking the hamburger menu icon during a group video call. The same menu is also where you can find the toggle for the improved noise suppression option.

Telegram

All in all, the group video calls feature seems to be polished and well-implemented, which isn’t all that surprising considering that Telegram first promised to release it by the end of last year, later extending the deadline to May.

The biggest limitation at the moment is the fact that group video calls are limited to the first 30 people who join a voice chat. Telegram is already working on increasing this limit, but we don’t know how long it will take.

Also Read: The Top 3 VPN Services For Android (2023 Edition)

Other notable features introduced alongside group video calls include algorithmically generated animated backgrounds for chats, seamless message sending animations, login information reminders, new animated emoji, improved creation of new sticker packs, two new app icons on iOS, and better communication with bots.

Telegram currently has around 500 million users around the world, and new features such as these are guaranteed to make its user base grow even larger.

News

Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

5 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.