Telegram is now basically a file transfer service too TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. Telegram is now basically a file transfer service too By Will McCurdy published 20 June 2022 Telegram Premium adds a number of feathers to the messaging service's bow (Image credit: Dima Solomin/Unsplash) Audio player loading… Anonymous messaging app Telegram is rolling out a new premium service which includes access to file transfer services for the first time. The move to monetize its services come as the Telegram userbase is exploding worldwide, it has 700 million active users according to its own latest statistics and made the top five most downloaded apps of 2022. The new service (opens in new tab), dubbed Telegram Premium, will give paying users a host of new features while "preserving free access" to the basic app. What do users get Telegram Premium users will be able to upload and share files of up to 4GB, whereas free users will be capped at 2GB. All Telegram users can download these extra-large documents, regardless of whether they are subscribed to Telegram Premium In addition to the company's entry into the file hosting space, Telegram Premium subscribers will also apparently be able to download media and files at "the fastest possible speed" from their unlimited cloud storage. Premium users are also set to get increased limits for almost everything in the app, including the ability to follow up to 1000 channels, create up to 20 chat folders with up to 200 chats each, add a fourth account to any Telegram app, pin 10 chats in the main list, and save up to 10 favourite stickers. Telegram Premium will also enable voice messages to be converted to text and will allow users to be able to rate the quality of transcriptions. Telegram Premium is already available for iOS users who have the latest 8.8 version of the app installed, but doesn't seem to have been rolled out to Android users just yet. The cost of Telegram Premium is set to vary between depending on the location but will be $4.99 for US users.READ MORE: > Telegram has become a playground for cybercriminals > Telegram ordered to block access to privacy channels > Telegram is looking more and more like a business app The updates also feature a host of purely aesthetic updates, including Animated Profile Pictures, new emojis, and premium badges. In some countries, Sponsored Messages are shown in large, public one-to-many channels. These advertisements will no longer appear for subscribers of Telegram Premium. The growth of Telegram has not been without unwelcome participants, however. Experts have warned users to beware a malware downloader pretending to be an installer for popular communications platform Telegram. According to cybersecurity researchers Minerva Labs, someone is distributing two files in a single download - one is a legitimate Telegram installer, while the other one is an AutoIT program, also a downloader, but for the PurpleFox malware. Will McCurdyWill McCurdy has been writing about technology for over five years. He has a wide range of specialities including cybersecurity, fintech, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, cloud computing, payments, artificial intelligence, retail technology, and venture capital investment. He has previously written for AltFi, FStech, Retail Systems, and National Technology News and is an experienced podcast and webinar host, as well as an avid long-form feature writer. See more Computing news Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to theTechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1You may not have to sell a body part to afford the Nvidia RTX 4090 after all2Blizzard made me explain Overwatch 2 smurfing to my mum for nothing3Apple October launches: the new devices we might see this month4Google's AI editing tricks are making Photoshop irrelevant for most people5One of the world's most popular programming languages is coming to Linux1Best laptops for designers and coders 2The iPhone 14 Pro is made of the wrong stuff; the Pixel 7 proves that to me3Stop saying Mario doesn't have an accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie4Microsoft Teams users are using it for a really bad reason, so stop now5iPhone 15 tipped to come with an upgraded 5G chip Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)