In an unexpected turn of events, Telegram is borrowing a tool from the WhatsApp's playbook. Telegram platform is about to introduce temporary photos and videos, a feature that has gained widespread popularity as Stories on other social media. Up until now, Telegram users could sidestep the whole Stories trend, but those days are coming to an end.

Telegram Stories Coming Soon

Stories — temporary photos and videos that typically disappear after 24 hours — have found a solid fan base on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. They've become so prevalent that even WhatsApp adapted its Status feature to include this form of ephemeral sharing.

Telegram, however, remained one platform where users could dodge the Stories trend. That's about to change, with the company planning to roll out the feature in July.

User Demand Spurs Change

The decision to bring Stories to Telegram was announced last Monday by the company's CEO, Pavel Durov. In a post on his personal Telegram channel, Durov revealed that over half of all user requests pertained to the introduction of a Stories feature. "Initially, we resisted the idea, given the ubiquity of Stories on other platforms. But at its core, Telegram is about listening to our users," shared Durov.